Amber Heard makes rare remarks about impact of disastrous Johnny Depp defamation trial: 'I don't want to use my voice anymore'

Amber Heard has made rare remarks on how the 2022 defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp has impacted her life years later.

The 39-year-old actress - who has since relocated to Spain and is raising three children - opened up about the topic in the new documentary Silenced which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday. 

Following a highly-publicized trial, Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. She was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for her countersuit against the actor. 

The Aquaman star stepped out of the spotlight with her daughter Oonagh, four, to move to Madrid. Most recently, Heard has slowly been stepping back into the public eye - and marked her theater debut last summer. 

'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 documentary, per Variety. 

'In fact, I don't want to use my voice anymore. That's the problem,' she further told the director of the film Selina Miles.

In the project, Heard referenced to the libel lawsuit Depp lost in the U.K. after he sued The Sun over a claim that he was a 'wife beater.'

International human rights lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, had assisted the actress in the case in 2020. 

'The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial,' Heard recalled. 

'When I first met [Robinson], I immediately got the sense that she got the bigger picture. What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through.' 

The documentary not only involves Heard, but also Columbian journalist Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Brittany Higgins. 

'Silenced reveals a global pattern: When women speak out, powerful systems move to discredit and punish them,' per an official description.

In December 2022, the defamation case between the actress and Depp was settled and she took to her main Instagram page to release a statement.

She eventually paid her ex-husband $1 million in damages following a negotiation - with Depp giving the money to five charities, per People.

'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,' she wrote at the time.

'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.'

Heard added, '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.'

She concluded with, '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.'

The following year, Heard - who is bilingual in Spanish - moved to Spain with her daughter Oonagh and began rebuilding her life out of the spotlight.

Last year in May, the actress announced that she had welcomed twins named Agnes and Ocean. 

She uploaded an image to Instagram on Mother's Day showing the twins' feet as well as her eldest daughter's as well. 

'This year I am elated beyond words to celebrate the completion of the family I've strived to build for years. Today I officially share the news that I welcomed twins into the Heard gang.'

She reflected on how her 'world changed forever' when Oonagh was born and gushed that she 'couldn't possibly burst with more joy' with the addition of her twins.

Heard got candid about motherhood and battling her 'own fertility challenges.' 

'I am eternally grateful that I was able to choose this responsibly and thoughtfully. To all the moms, wherever you are today and however you got here, my dream family and I are celebrating with you. Love always, A.'

On rare occasions, the star will give a glimpse into her home life abroad. 

Late last year in October, she flashed a cheerful smile in a snap as she dressed up for Halloween with her three children. 

She also celebrated Thanksgiving with her family - including her father - and gave a glimpse at the intimate gathering for the holiday. 

Heard has also been embracing her passion for acting once again and made her theater debut last year in July 2025. 

The star ventured back to the U.S. to take on a role in Jeremy O. Harris' play called Spirit Of The People. 

Heard performed on stage during the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the state of Massachusetts at the time. 

It was also her first return to acting since making an appearance in the film Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) as well as In The Fire (2023). 

Back in August, she celebrated the end of her time in the stage production by uploading a selfie as she posed with an assortment of flowers. 

'Thank you to all of my fans and supporters for making this already unforgettable weekend so much more beautiful,' she penned. 

'The flowers won't last forever but the memories of all the love and support I received through this, will.'