Amber Heard has opened up about the lasting impact of her highly publicized defamation trial with Johnny Depp, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The actress, who has since relocated to Spain with her children, says the legal battle has forced her to step back from the spotlight and rethink her relationship with the public.
‘Lost My Ability to Speak’
Amber Heard attended a public appearance following her return to the spotlight after years out of public view.
“This is not about me. I have lost my ability to speak. I am not here to tell my story,” Heard said in a confessional for the Sundance documentary Silenced, per Variety.
She added, “In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem.”
The 39-year-old, who recently welcomed twins Agnes and Ocean and lives in Madrid with her daughter, Oonagh, 4, has slowly been stepping back into public life.
Last summer, she made her theater debut, marking a cautious return to the spotlight.
‘Silenced’
The actress reflected on the lasting impact of her high-profile defamation trial in a new documentary.
Silenced, directed by Selina Miles, also features stories from other women, including Colombian journalist Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Brittany Higgins.
The film highlights how women are often discredited or punished when they speak out.
According to the official synopsis: “Silenced reveals a global pattern: When women speak out, powerful systems move to discredit and punish them.”
Relating to Other Women
Heard relocated to Spain after the trial, focusing on rebuilding her life away from Hollywood.
Heard reflected on her legal battles stemming from the defamation case and related UK libel lawsuit against Depp.
She credited international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, saying: “The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial.”
“When I first met [Robinson], I immediately got the sense that she got the bigger picture. What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through,” she added.
‘I Have Made No Admission’
The Aquaman star has slowly re-entered public life, including a recent theater debut in Madrid.
Following the trial, in December 2022, Heard settled with Depp, eventually paying $1 million in damages, which he donated to five charities.
“After a great deal of deliberation, I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case brought against me by my ex-husband in Virginia,” she wrote at the time. “It’s important for me to say that I never chose this. I defended my truth, and in doing so, my life as I knew it was destroyed.”
Heard added, “The vilification I have faced on social media is an amplified version of the ways in which women are re-victimized when they come forward. Now I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to.”
“I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward,” she concluded.
