Amber Heard Speaks Out 3 Years After Her Trial With Johnny Depp: ‘I Didn’t Understand It Could Get So Much Worse For Me’

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Several years ago, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were involved in a public legal battle, culminating in a defamation trial. In late 2022, the court largely sided with Depp. Now, more than three years later, Heard is sharing her side of the story in a new documentary. In it, she explains why she participated in the film and reflects on the consequences of publicly discussing her relationship with her ex-husband.

Amber Heard is among the women featured in the documentary Silenced, directed by Selina Miles. The film centers around Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who previously represented Heard. Silenced focuses on women who have made accusations of abuse and sexual misconduct. In an interview with Miles (as reported by Variety), Heard openly discussed her feelings about speaking out at this stage in her life.

This isn’t my story to tell. I’ve lost the ability to speak, and frankly, I don’t want to regain it. I don’t want to use my voice at all – that’s the core of the issue.

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As a huge movie fan, I followed the whole Johnny Depp and Amber Heard situation with a lot of interest – and sadness, honestly. It all started when a British tabloid called Depp a ‘wife beater,’ which led him to sue them for libel. He lost that case in 2020. Then, after Heard wrote an article detailing abuse, things really escalated. Depp then sued her for defamation, and she countersued. The trial itself, which played out publicly from April to June 2022, was pretty intense. In the end, the jury found Heard guilty of defaming Depp on three counts, but also found Depp guilty of defaming Heard on one count. It was a messy situation with no real winners, just a lot of public airing of very personal issues.

The documentary Silenced presents the story from Amber Heard’s point of view, focusing on the aftermath of the trial where she was initially ordered to pay $15 million in damages (while Johnny Depp was ordered to pay $2 million). The film shows Heard dealing with intense public backlash from Depp’s supporters, who reportedly harassed her with trash while she entered and exited the courthouse during the Sun trial, where she was a crucial witness. Heard also recounts a conversation she had with her lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, at the conclusion of that case.

After the trial ended, someone suggested I speak to the press. Robinson checked if I was certain I wanted to do that. I actually thought that if people reacted negatively, it would only highlight the issue. I didn’t realize how much trouble I could get into as a woman simply by speaking up.

Now that Amber Heard has told her side of the story, Johnny Depp previously discussed the defamation trial from his perspective. In a 2025 interview, Depp addressed statements made by past partners and evidence presented, including photos of feces and his injured finger. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor explained he felt he needed to defend himself and believed he’d have to reveal painful details to do so.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are both at new stages in their lives. Depp is actively returning to Hollywood with roles in films like Day Drinker and a new Scrooge movie. Heard, on the other hand, has relocated to Spain and, while rumors suggested she’d left acting, she continues to work on both film and theater projects.

After Amber Heard stated she doesn’t want to publicly discuss her personal life anymore, it seems unlikely she’ll ever speak about her legal issues with Johnny Depp again. People who want to hear her story as featured in the documentary Silenced, which recently premiered at Sundance, will need to wait for it to become available through a distributor.

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2026-01-26 18:41