Amber Heard returns with a vengeance, revisiting the Johnny Depp saga that’s set to shake things up

This month, former Hollywood star, Amber Heard, made a rare comment on the aftermath regarding her legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp. After the very public and messy trial in 2022, Heard departed Hollywood in exchange for a quieter life in Madrid, Spain, but a recent documentary saw the actress briefly return.

The comments from Heard, 39, came from the documentary, Silenced, which, according to Variety, focuses on how men weaponize defamation laws to silence the voices of abuse survivors. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend and features Heard in her first movie role since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

According to Variety, Heard agreed to participate in the documentary but made her motivations for being in the film clear. It seems this isn’t about making a return to Hollywood, but rather making sure that other women’s voices are still heard.

“This is not about me. 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.”

Other women who appeared in the documentary include Brittany Higgins, an Australian woman who brought rape allegations against a member of Australian parliament, Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, an editor of a magazine who was sued by a director after she made misconduct allegations against him, and Sibongile Ndashe, a human rights attorney.

Amber Heard makes it clear it’s not about her

Heard clarifies that this isn’t about her, but rather the way defamation lawsuits are used against women. Her case is perhaps one of the most high profile examples of that. 

While the court case revealed abuse on both sides between Depp and Heard, the actress fared far worse than her ex-husband. The media and the court of public opinion were quick to decide she was the one in the wrong and after she lost the case it seemed her career in Hollywood was all but finished. 

Shortly after the court case she stepped away from the limelight, with her only appearance being in the second Aquaman film. Still, to this day she no doubt feels the effects of the lawsuit as many still know her as a domestic abuser. On X, people claimed that there was no doubt that she was the culprit and instigator of the abuse. Meanwhile, a smaller minority suggest that it was Depp and that Heard is owed an apology.

Whatever the case, whether you think she’s a victim or not, the lawsuit certainly played a large part in taking away Heard’s voice. As for Depp, his career has somewhat slowed but he has multiple upcoming projects which prove the court case certainly didn’t affect him as much.