Several years ago, former spouses Amber Heard and Johnny Depp became embroiled in a legal situation that ultimately resulted in a trial over alleged defamation. By the fall of 2022, a verdict was delivered, and it was largely in Depp’s favor. Now, over three years later, Heard is discussing her experiences with the situation in a new documentary. As part of that production, the actress not only clarifies her reasons for joining the film but also meditates on the ramifications of previously speaking out on her issues with her former spouse.
Heard is one of several interviewees in the documentary Silenced, which is directed by Selina Miles. At the center of the doc is Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who notably represented Heard several years back. The Aquaman alum is one of several women featured in the doc, who made allegations of abuse, sexual misconduct and more against people. As for Heard, she spoke candidly (via Variety) with Miles about how she feels about using her voice at this point in her life:
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.
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After The Sun referred to Johnny Depp – who was married to Amber Heard from 2015 to 2016 – as a “wife beater,” he filed suit against publisher News Group Newspapers for libel. Depp, who lost the libel case in 2020, came into direct conflict with Heard after she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in which she claimed to have been subjected to sexual violence. Depp eventually sued his ex-wife for defamation, and she countersued. The Depp v. Heard trial lasted from April to June 2022 and ended with Heard being found guilty on three counts of defamation and Depp being found guilty on one count.
Silenced shows the aforementioned situation from the perspective of Heard, who was initially ordered to pay $15 million in damages. (Depp was also ordered to pay out $2 million.) The documentary shows Heard facing public criticism from fans of Depp, who apparently threw trash at her whenever she walked in and out of the courthouse during the Sun trial, for which she was a key witness. During the film, Heard also recalled a conversation she had with Jennifer Robinson at the end of that case:
I remember at the close of the trial, the idea that I could say something to the press came up. [Robinson] asked if I was sure about that. [I thought], ‘If they throw things at me, it will make this point more obvious.’ I didn’t understand it could get so much worse for me as a woman, using my voice.
While Amber Heard is now sharing her account of events, Johnny Depp previously recalled his experiences with the defamation trial. Depp opened up during a 2025 interview, at which point he acknowledged the various statements shared by his ex-girlfriends as well as reported pieces of evidence including photos of feces and a severed finger. The Pirates of the Caribbean star said he felt compelled to prove his innocence and said he knew he’d have to “have to semi-eviscerate” to a degree in order to do so.
Both Heard and Depp are reportedly in different places in their lives at this point. Depp is in the midst of a Hollywood comeback and has since booked Day Drinker and is also set to headline a Scrooge movie. Meanwhile, Heard moved to Spain and, despite reports that she quit Hollywood, she’s still continuing to act in both screen and stage productions.
Given Amber Heard’s comments about no longer wanting to use her voice to talk about her personal journey, it’s unclear she’ll ever discuss her legal battle with Johnny Depp publicly again. Those interested in hearing her segments in Silenced – which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival – will have to wait until the doc lands a distributor.
