Amber Heard opens up in ‘Silenced’ documentary about losing her voice

Amber Heard has revealed she has “lost her ability to speak” in the wake of her widely publicized legal disputes with Johnny Depp.

The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom actress made a surprise appearance in Silenced, a new documentary about accused men using defamation lawsuits to silence women speaking out about abuse, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

In a confessional interview with director Selina Miles, Heard said, “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."

International human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who assisted Heard during Depp’s 2018 libel lawsuit against The Sun, also appears in the documentary. 

Heard recounted the intense public scrutiny she faced during the trial, including being shouted at by Depp’s supporters: “What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through.”

Despite the ordeal, Heard said seeing other women speak out has inspired her, “It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight. Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power… I believe it can be better.”

Heard and Depp’s legal battles remain high-profile. While Depp lost his libel case against The Sun, he successfully sued Heard for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote about surviving domestic abuse, with the jury awarding him $1 million in damages.