Amber Heard Has Spoken Out About the Johnny Depp Trial in a Rare Statement

Amber Heard leaving Fairfax County Courthouse in 2022
(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Amber Heard has made a rare comment about her 2022 trial against ex partner Johnny Depp in a new documentary.
  • "I have lost my ability to speak," Heard reportedly states in Silenced, a new film by Selina Miles. "I am not here to tell my story. I don’t want to tell my story. In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem."
  • Silenced premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this month.

Amber Heard has spoken out about her legal battle with ex husband Johnny Depp in a new documentary.

Heard, 39, and Depp, 62, were involved in a six-week trial in 2022, with the highly-publicised case focusing on allegations of defamation, five years after their divorce was finalised.

Depp sued his ex partner for defamation over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed where she described herself as a survivor of domestic abuse, with the Pirates of the Caribbean star claiming that it had damaged his reputation and career. Heard later counter-sued Depp.

The televised trial ultimately ruled in Depp's favour, with the mother of three paying £820,000 in a settlement.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Heard has kept a relatively low profile in the years since, having suffered a major online backlash in the trial's aftermath.

However, this week, the mother of three returned to the headlines, speaking out about the experience in a rare statement as part of a new documentary.

Silenced is a 2026 documentary by Selina Miles, premiering at this month's Sundance Film Festival. And speaking to multiple case studies, the film looks at the weaponisation of defamation laws against survivors of abuse.

Heard is among the women featured in the film, opening up about her defamation case in a rare statement.

Amber Heard testifies during the 2022 defamation trial in Fairfax, Virginia

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"This is not about me," the Aquaman actress reportedly states in the documentary, per Variety. "I have lost my ability to speak. I am not here to tell my story. I don’t want to tell my story. In fact, I don’t want to use my voice anymore. That’s the problem."

"It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight," Heard reportedly later adds in the Selina Miles film. "Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power.

"Looking at my daughter’s face as she grows up and slowly starts to walk into this world," she continued. "I believe it can be better."

We will continue to update this report.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call the free 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247, or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.

Jenny Proudfoot
Contributing Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.