How Johnny Depp defamation trial changed my life – Amber Heard

Actress Amber Heard has opened up about the lasting impact of her 2022 defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp, saying the ordeal has left her reluctant to speak publicly.

The 39-year-old, who has since relocated to Spain and is raising three children, spoke candidly in the new documentary Silenced, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday.

“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 film. “In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem,” she added.

The trial, which drew international attention, ended with Heard ordered to pay Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages, while she received $2 million in compensatory damages from her countersuit. Following a negotiation, Heard eventually paid Depp $1 million, which he donated to five charities.

In Silenced, Heard referenced the libel case Depp lost in the U.K. against The Sun, where he sued over claims he was a “wife beater.” She recounted her experience working with international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson in 2020.

“The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial,” Heard said. “What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through.”

The documentary explores a broader theme of systemic retaliation against women who speak out. Alongside Heard, it features Colombian journalist Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Australian whistleblower Brittany Higgins. According to the film’s description, Silenced “reveals a global pattern: when women speak out, powerful systems move to discredit and punish them.”

Reflecting on the trial’s aftermath, Heard said she faced intense vilification on social media, describing it as an “amplified version of the ways in which women are re-victimized when they come forward.”

She added that the settlement allowed her a degree of personal emancipation. “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 said.

Since moving to Spain, Heard has been rebuilding her life out of the public eye. Last year, she marked her theatre debut and welcomed twins, Agnes and Ocean, completing her family with eldest daughter Oonagh. Sharing a photo on Instagram, she said, “This year I am elated beyond words to celebrate the completion of the family I’ve strived to build for years