Amber Heard Explains Why She No Longer Wants to Speak
Amber Heard is stepping back into the public conversation, but on her own terms. In a powerful new documentary that premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the actress reflects on the personal cost of her legal battles with Johnny Depp and why she no longer feels safe using her voice.
The film does not aim to relitigate the past. Instead, it places her experience within a larger global pattern that affects many women who speak out.
Keep reading to understand why Amber Heard says she no longer wants to use her voice and how her experience reflects a much larger issue affecting women worldwide.
Amber Heard Appears in New Documentary Silenced
Amber Heard, now 39, makes rare and deeply personal comments in the documentary Silenced, directed by Selina Miles. The film explores how defamation laws are often used against abuse survivors and journalists, turning free speech into a legal risk.
Rather than centering on celebrity alone, Silenced connects Heard’s story with those of other women around the world who faced severe consequences after speaking publicly. The documentary screened on January 24, 2026, at the Sundance Film Festival and immediately drew attention for its themes and emotional weight.
Heard explains that the project is not meant to refocus attention on her. Instead, it shows how systems of power respond when women challenge them.
“This is not about me,” she says in the film. “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.”
Life After the Johnny Depp Trials
The documentary revisits the aftermath of the defamation cases between Heard and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. Their legal disputes followed their 2016 divorce and stretched across multiple countries and courtrooms.
After their separation, Heard cited irreconcilable differences and filed a temporary restraining order against Depp, alleging domestic violence. The couple reached a 7 million dollar divorce settlement in August 2016.
In 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation over a 2018 opinion piece she wrote for The Washington Post. Although the op ed did not name him, he argued that it damaged his reputation.
Earlier, in 2020, Depp lost a separate defamation case in the United Kingdom against British newspaper The Sun. The court ruled that the publication’s description of him as a wife-beater was substantially true. Heard testified in that case, and Depp’s appeal was later denied.
Why Speaking Out Made Things Worse
International human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who represented Heard during the UK case, also appears in Silenced. Robinson and Heard discuss the moment when Heard considered addressing the media directly after the Sun trial.
Heard recalls believing that public hostility would prove her point about backlash toward women who speak up.
“I remember at the close of the trial, the idea that I could say something to the press came up,” Heard says. “[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.”
Her reflection highlights a central theme of the documentary. Speaking out did not bring relief or closure. Instead, it intensified public scrutiny and personal attacks.
The 2022 Virginia Verdict and Settlement
The most widely watched chapter of the legal battle unfolded in 2022 in Fairfax County, Virginia. Over the course of a six-week trial, both Heard and Depp accused each other of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse.
The jury ultimately found Heard liable on all three counts of defamation related to her Washington Post op ed. She was ordered to pay 10.35 million dollars in damages. Depp was also ordered to pay 2 million dollars after Heard won one part of her countersuit.
Both parties initially filed appeals. In late 2022, they reached a settlement in which Heard agreed to pay Depp 1 million dollars. Depp later announced that he would donate the money to several charities.
Silenced Connects Global Stories of Power and Punishment
According to the Sundance Film Festival, Silenced also follows journalist Catalina Ruiz Navarro and her fight for press freedom in Colombia, along with Brittany Higgins and her experience within Australia’s political system.
The documentary description makes its position clear. When women speak publicly about abuse or injustice, they are often met with efforts to discredit them.
“When women speak out, powerful systems move to discredit and punish them,” the film’s description states.
By placing Heard’s story alongside others, the documentary shifts the focus away from celebrity drama and toward a broader cultural issue.
Finding Strength in Other Women and in Motherhood
Despite everything she has endured, Heard says she finds hope in watching other women continue to fight for balance and accountability.
“It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight. Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power,” she says. “Looking at my daughter’s face as she grows up and slowly starts to walk into this world … I believe it can be better.”
Heard is now a mother of three. She has a daughter, Oonagh Paige, and twins named Ocean and Agnes. Much of her life today is centered on raising her children away from the spotlight.
Her words in Silenced suggest that while she may no longer want to use her voice publicly, she still believes change is possible through collective courage.
A Documentary That Shifts the Conversation
Silenced does not attempt to rewrite court verdicts or reopen legal debates. Instead, it asks viewers to consider the human cost of public judgment and legal retaliation.
For Heard, the film marks a rare but measured return to the conversation. Not to defend herself, but to explain why she has stepped back.
Online screenings of Silenced are currently available for booking. The documentary is already sparking discussion about free speech, power, and the price many women pay for telling the truth.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, support is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org. The service is free, confidential, and available around the clock.
Summary:
- Amber Heard makes rare public comments in the 2026 Sundance Film Festival documentary Silenced
- The film explores how defamation laws are used against abuse survivors and journalists
- Heard says she no longer wants to use her voice after the fallout from her legal battles
- She reflects on how speaking out made public backlash and scrutiny worse
- The documentary includes insights from human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson
- Silenced connects Heard’s experience with global stories of women facing retaliation
- The film also features Catalina Ruiz Navarro and Brittany Higgins
- Heard discusses finding strength in other women who continue to speak up
- She expresses hope for a better future while reflecting on motherhood
- The documentary shifts focus from celebrity trials to systemic power imbalances
