Amber Heard has recently shared her thoughts on the consequences of the defamation trial with her former spouse, Johnny Depp.
The 2022 trial, which was widely followed, subjected Heard to significant public and online criticism.
The verdict required Heard to compensate Depp with $10 million in damages and $350k in punitive fees. Meanwhile, Depp was ordered to pay Heard $2 million in compensatory damages due to her countersuit.
Post-trial, the Aquaman star has moved to Spain, where she is now focusing on raising her family.
In a new documentary titled Silenced, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, Heard, now 39, discusses the trial’s impact and the reactions it sparked both publicly and on social media.
During an interview with Variety for the documentary, Heard expressed her feelings about the challenging time, offering a poignant statement.
“This is not about me,” she remarked. “I have lost my ability to speak. I am not here to tell my story.”
“In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore,” she conveyed to the film’s director, Selina Miles. “That’s the problem.”
Reflecting on the defamation trial, she stated: “The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial.”
Heard further commented: “What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through.”
Discussing the documentary, Heard highlighted the adversity women face when they speak out.
She expressed: “Silenced reveals a global pattern: When women speak out, powerful systems move to discredit and punish them.”
The litigation between Heard and Depp reached a resolution in December 2022. Heard shared her thoughts on the settlement via her Facebook page.
She wrote: “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.”
“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.”
She continued: “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.”
Concluding her statement, Heard expressed: “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.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.