Actor Amber Heard has spoken candidly about the emotional and personal toll of her highly publicised legal disputes with ex-husband Johnny Depp inSilenced, a documentary that premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 24.
In the film, directed by Selina Miles, Heard reflects on how the defamation trials reshaped her relationship with public discourse and silenced her voice. “I have lost my ability to speak,” Heard says in the documentary, according toVariety. She adds that she no longer wants to share her story publicly, describing the experience as deeply discouraging rather than empowering.
Heard also revisits the aftermath of the UKSunlibel trial, recalling how she underestimated the consequences of speaking to the media. She said she believed that public backlash would make the broader point about misogyny and power imbalances more visible, but instead found that the situation worsened dramatically. “I didn’t understand it could get so much worse for me as a woman, using my voice,” she said.
Despite her hesitation to speak out, Heard draws strength from other women who continue to challenge power structures. She noted that seeing women confront systemic imbalance gives her hope, especially as she thinks about the future her children will inherit.
The documentary also includes moments where Heard reflects on motherhood. Now a mother of three — twins Ocean and Agnes, and daughter Oonagh Paige — she said watching her children grow gives her optimism that societal attitudes can improve.
Heard and Depp separated in 2016, following which their relationship became the subject of years of litigation and intense media scrutiny. In the US defamation trial, a jury found Heard liable on all three counts and ordered her to pay $10.35 million in damages, while Depp was directed to pay her $2 million on one counterclaim.
After appeals from both sides, the former couple reached a settlement in which Heard agreed to pay Depp $1 million, an amount he said would be donated to charity.Silencedmarks one of Heard’s most reflective public appearances since the conclusion of the legal saga.
