Amber Heard said she fears she could face another lawsuit from her ex-husband Johnny Depp if she continues to speak about their relationship. After the jury found that she had defamed Depp by claiming he had abused her, she sat down with her first post-trial interview with Savannah Guthrie. In it, she said she felt nervous about what she’s allowed to say now, especially since she fears another lawsuit.
“I’m scared that no matter what I do, no matter what I say, or how I say it — every step that I take will present another opportunity for this sort of — silencing, which is what, I guess, a defamation lawsuit is meant to do,” she said. “It’s meant to — meant to take your voice.”
Amber Heard Said The Op-Ed Wasn’t About Johnny Depp
Heard has maintained that her 2018 op-ed was not about Depp. In the op-ed published by the Washington Post, she claimed she had become a “public figure representing domestic abuse” and never mentioned her ex-husband by name. However, his lawyers said the article had indirectly referred to incidents she had alleged during their divorce in 2016. Depp took Heard to court, suing her $50 million for defamation, saying the op-ed insinuated he had abused her and hurt his career and reputation. Heard counter-sued for $100 million, saying Depp had defamed her through his lawyer, Adam Waldman, who had called her abuse allegations a “hoax.”
To Guthrie, Heard explained, “The op-ed wasn’t about my relationship with Johnny. What the op-ed was about was … me loaning my voice to a bigger cultural conversation that we were having at the time.” She noted that the op-ed was published at the height of the #MeToo movement. “I obviously knew it was important for me not to make it about him. Or to do anything like defame him.” [1]
She added that “teams of lawyers” had reviewed the drafts of the op-ed and she did not hope Depp would be “canceled” after its publication. As Guthrie asked, “When you wrote this op-ed, it was the height of #MeToo. Legions of powerful men being canceled, losing their jobs. Did you want that to happen to Johnny Depp?”
“Of course not,” said Amber Heard. “Of course not. It wasn’t about him.”
Read: Johnny Depp to Have Camille Vasquez Represent Him Again in Court Over Alleged Assault of Film Crew Member
Heard Still Loves Depp
While the trial was underway, the majority of the internet seemed to sway in support of Depp. When the jury made the verdict mostly in Depp’s favor, Heard said she doesn’t “blame” the jury. “Even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation,” she said.
The unanimous jury found Heard guilty on three accounts of defamation and Depp on one. They added that she defamed him by calling him an abuser, making these statements with actual malice. Depp got awarded $15 million in combined damages to combat the impact of the op-ed. Heard got $2 million in compensatory damages. [2]
After the trial, Heard said the outcome is a setback for women who are survivors of domestic violence. “What I learned in that trial is that it’s never going to be good enough. If you have proof, then it was a scheme, it was a hoax,” she said. “If you don’t have proof, it didn’t happen.” [3] She plans to appeal and move on and focus on raising her daughter.
During the interview, Heard also confirms what she said on the first day of the trial: That she still loves Johnny Depp. “Absolutely. I love him; I loved him with all my heart. I have no bad feelings or ill will toward him at all; I tried the best I could to make a deeply broken relationship work. And I couldn’t. I have no bad feelings or ill will toward him at all.” [4]
Johnny Depp’s Response
In response to this interview, spokesperson for Depp stated, “It’s unfortunate that while Johnny is looking to move forward with his life, the defendant and her team are back to repeating, reimagining and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the Court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnny’s favor.”
In response to this, spokesperson for Heard said, “If Mr. Depp or his team have a problem with this, we recommend that Johnny himself sit down with Savannah Guthrie for an hour and answer all her questions.” [5]
Keep Reading: ‘Broke’ Amber Heard spotted shopping at TJ Maxx in the Hamptons
Sources
- “Amber Heard says she fears further defamation lawsuits from Johnny Depp.” NBC News. Chantal Da Silva. June 15, 2022
- “There’s finally a verdict in the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard defamation trial but it’s complicated. Here’s what we know.” ABC News. Jade Macmillan and Joanna Robin June 2, 2022
- “Amber Heard said she’s ‘terrified’ Johnny Depp might sue her again after she was found liable for defamation.” Insider. Erin Snodgrass June 18, 2022
- “Exclusive: Amber Heard says she ‘absolutely’ still has love for Johnny Depp.” Today. Alex Portée. June 15, 2022
- “Amber Heard Says Therapist Notes Not Allowed in Defamation Trial Would Have Led to Different Verdict.” The Hollywood Reporter. JAckie Strause, Winston Cho. June 17, 2022