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Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film ''
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' is a 2006 American slasher film directed by Jonathan Levine and starring Amber Heard, Michael Welch, Whitney Able, and Anson Mount. The plot centers on a group of popular high schoolers who invite an attractive o ...
'' (2006), and went on to star in films such as '' The Ward'' (2010) and ''
Drive Angry ''Drive Angry'' (alternatively titled ''Drive Angry 3D'') is a 2011 American action horror film in the grindhouse cinema tradition, directed by Patrick Lussier, who co-wrote it with Todd Farmer. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Willia ...
'' (2011). She has also had supporting roles in films including ''
Pineapple Express Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent large-scale flow of warm moist air, and the associated heavy precipitation both in the waters immediately northeast of the Hawaii ...
'' (2008), ''
Never Back Down ''Never Back Down'' is a 2008 American martial arts film directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard and Djimon Hounsou. It tells the story of a frustrated and conflicted teenager who arrives at a new high school ...
'' (2008), ''
The Joneses ''The Joneses'' is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Derrick Borte, in his directorial debut. It stars Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth. It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film F ...
'' (2009), ''
Machete Kills ''Machete Kills'' (also known as ''Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills'') is a 2013 American action exploitation film directed by Robert Rodriguez, with a screenplay by Kyle Ward, from a story by Robert and Marcel Rodriguez. Based on the eponymo ...
'' (2013), ''
Magic Mike XXL ''Magic Mike XXL'' is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Gregory Jacobs, written by Reid Carolin and starring Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash and Joe Manganiello. A sequel to 2012's ''Magic Mike'', the film premiered in Hollywo ...
'' (2015), and ''
The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. Summary The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the fi ...
'' (2015). Heard is part of the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
franchise, playing Mera in ''
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' (2017), ''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
'' (2018), and the forthcoming ''
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ''Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom'' is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Aquaman. Produced by DC Studios, the Safran Company, and Atomic Monster Productions, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, ...
'' (2023). She has also acted in television series such as ''
Hidden Palms ''Hidden Palms'' is an American teen drama television series that ran on The CW in the United States from May 30 until July 4, 2007. It was canceled after eight first-run episodes. The series, created by Kevin Williamson, portrays the fictiona ...
'' (2007) and ''
The Stand ''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...
'' (2020). Heard is an
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
(ACLU) ambassador on women's rights and was a Human Rights Champion for the Stand Up for Human Rights campaign by the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nati ...
. Heard married actor
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
in 2015. The dissolution of the marriage in May 2016 garnered widespread media attention when Heard filed a restraining order against Depp in which she alleged domestic violence. Depp would later file a
defamation lawsuit Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
against British
tabloid newspaper A tabloid is a newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet. There is no standard size for this newspaper format. Etymology The word ''tabloid'' comes from the name given by the London-based pharmaceutical company Burroughs We ...
'' The Sun'' over their coverage of Heard's domestic abuse allegations, and another against Heard herself for an
op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
published in her name in the ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' alleging "sexual violence" and "domestic abuse". While Depp lost the former lawsuit, the latter, over which Heard filed a countersuit over statements by Depp's lawyer, became the subject of a widely-publicized trial, which concluded with a jury finding both Heard and Depp liable for false and defamatory statements and left Heard in $8.35 million debt to Depp. Heard received widespread backlash over her allegations and the subsequent court cases, particularly on social media. After appealing the verdict in the latter lawsuit, Heard ultimately
settled A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...
with Depp, with his lawyers stating Depp would be paid $1 million.


Early life

Heard was born in
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, the middle child of three daughters of internet researcher Patricia Paige (''née'' Parsons; 1956–2020) and construction company owner David Clinton Heard (born 1950). The family lived outside Austin. Heard's father trained horses in his free time, and she grew up riding horses, hunting, and fishing with him. She also participated in
beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
s, although as an adult she has said that she could no longer "support the
objectification In social philosophy, objectification is the act of treating a person, as an object or a thing. It is part of dehumanization, the act of disavowing the humanity of others. Sexual objectification, the act of treating a person as a mere object of sex ...
". Raised
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, Heard began identifying as an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
at the age of sixteen after her best friend died in a car crash. The following year, no longer comfortable in "
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
, God-fearin' Texas", Heard dropped out of her Catholic high school to pursue an acting career in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. She eventually earned a diploma through a home-study course.


Career


2003–2007: Early roles

Heard's earliest acting work included appearances in two music videos,
Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...
's "
There Goes My Life "There Goes My Life" is a song written by Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released in October 2003 as the first single from Chesney's 2004 album '' When the Sun Goes Down''. The ...
" and
Eisley Eisley is an American rock band from Tyler, Texas, originally consisting of siblings Sherri DuPree, Chauntelle DuPree, Stacy DuPree and Weston DuPree. Remaining recording/touring members are their sister Sherri DuPree-Bemis and their cousin Gar ...
's "I Wasn't Prepared", and small supporting roles in the television series ''
Jack & Bobby ''Jack & Bobby'' is an American drama television series created by Greg Berlanti, Vanessa Taylor, Steven A. Cohen, and Brad Meltzer. It aired on The WB from September 12, 2004, to May 11, 2005. The series’ title is a reference to real-life pol ...
'' (2004), ''
The Mountain The Mountain (french: La Montagne) was a political group during the French Revolution. Its members, called the Montagnards (), sat on the highest benches in the National Convention. They were the most radical group and opposed the Girondins. Th ...
'' (2004), and ''
The O.C. ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'' (2005). She made her film debut in a minor role in the sports drama '' Friday Night Lights'' (2004), followed by brief supporting roles in films ''
Drop Dead Sexy ''Drop Dead Sexy'' is a 2005 American comedy film starring Jason Lee and Crispin Glover. Plot When their money scam goes into the ground, two would-be thieves (Jason Lee and Crispin Glover) turn to kidnapping in an attempt to blackmail their targ ...
'' (2005), '' North Country'' (2005), ''Side FX'' (2005), ''Price to Pay'' (2006), '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), and ''Spin'' (2007), and a guest-starring spot in an episode of the
police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eith ...
crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
television series ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis (writer), Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was r ...
''. Heard received her first leading role in the unconventional
slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...
''
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' is a 2006 American slasher film directed by Jonathan Levine and starring Amber Heard, Michael Welch, Whitney Able, and Anson Mount. The plot centers on a group of popular high schoolers who invite an attractive o ...
'', which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, but was not released in Europe until 2008 and in the US until 2013 due to distribution problems. In 2007, Heard played the love interest of the main character in
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
's teen drama ''
Hidden Palms ''Hidden Palms'' is an American teen drama television series that ran on The CW in the United States from May 30 until July 4, 2007. It was canceled after eight first-run episodes. The series, created by Kevin Williamson, portrays the fictiona ...
'', which the network aired to replace summer reruns of other series aimed at teenage audiences. The series premiered in the US in May 2007 to mixed reviews and poor ratings, leading the CW to air only eight of the planned 12 episodes before canceling it. The same year, Heard also appeared in the short movie ''Day 73 with Sarah'', in the teen drama ''
Remember the Daze ''Remember the Daze,'' originally titled ''The Beautiful Ordinary,'' is a 2007 drama film released in theaters in April 2008. The film was directed by Jess Manafort. The plot of the movie has been described as "a glimpse into the teenage wastelan ...
'', and in an episode of the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
series ''
Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word) ''Californication'' is a portmanteau of California and fornication, appearing in ''Time'' on May 6, 1966 and written about on August 21, 1972, additionally seen on bumper stickers in the U.S. ...
''.


2008–2016: Mainstream recognition

Heard gained mainstream recognition in 2008 with supporting roles in the
Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...
-produced
stoner comedy Stoner film is a subgenre of comedy film that revolves around the Recreational drug use, recreational use of Cannabis (drug), cannabis. Generally, cannabis use is one of the main themes and inspires much of the plot. They are often representative ...
''
Pineapple Express Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent large-scale flow of warm moist air, and the associated heavy precipitation both in the waters immediately northeast of the Hawaii ...
'' and the martial arts drama ''
Never Back Down ''Never Back Down'' is a 2008 American martial arts film directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard and Djimon Hounsou. It tells the story of a frustrated and conflicted teenager who arrives at a new high school ...
'', both of which were box office successes. She also appeared as part of an ensemble cast in an adaptation of
Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author, screenwriter, short-story writer, and director. Ellis was first regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique, as a w ...
's novel ''
The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Jap ...
'' (2008), but the film was a critical failure. The following year, Heard starred in ''
The Joneses ''The Joneses'' is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Derrick Borte, in his directorial debut. It stars Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth. It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film F ...
'' (2009) opposite
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, producer, director, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He is known for portraying FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002, 2016-2018) and as write ...
and
Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Bra ...
; ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote that Heard "more or less steals the show" from Moore. Outside a brief appearance in the box office hit ''
Zombieland ''Zombieland'' is a 2009 American post-apocalyptic zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer in his theatrical debut and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The film follows a geeky college student ( Jesse Eisenberg) making his wa ...
'' (2009), Heard's other films during this time were either independent films that received only limited theatrical release'' ExTerminators'' (2009), ''
The River Why ''The River Why'' is a 1983 novel by David James Duncan. While it starts off as a fishing story, ''The River Why'' turns into the story of a young person struggling to come to grips with the modern world. Plot summary A coming-of-age story narr ...
'' (2010), '' And Soon the Darkness'' (2010)or critically panned horror films'' The Stepfather'' (2009), '' The Ward''. Heard's first film release in 2011 was ''
Drive Angry ''Drive Angry'' (alternatively titled ''Drive Angry 3D'') is a 2011 American action horror film in the grindhouse cinema tradition, directed by Patrick Lussier, who co-wrote it with Todd Farmer. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Willia ...
'', a supernatural action thriller in which she was paired with
Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...
. The film received mainly bad reviews and underperformed commercially, but film critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
wrote that she "does everything that can possibly be done" with her character, a waitress who becomes entangled in an undead man's mission to save his daughter from a cult. In early 2011, Heard also appeared on the British television program ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'' as a star in a reasonably priced car coming 33rd of 41 on their Cee'd leaderboard. Heard next starred in
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''
The Playboy Club ''The Playboy Club'' is an American historical crime drama television series that aired on NBC from September 19 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers on the employees (known as Bunnies) of the original Playboy Club operating in ...
'', a crime drama series about the original
Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club R ...
in 1960s
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. After poor reviews and ratings as well as protests from both feminists and conservative groups, the series was canceled after only three episodes had aired. Heard's third role of 2011 was as the love interest of the main character, played by
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
, in the
Hunter S. Thompson Hunter Stockton Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005) was an American journalist and author who founded the gonzo journalism movement. He rose to prominence with the publication of '' Hell's Angels'' (1967), a book for which he s ...
adaptation '' The Rum Diary'' (2011). The film was a commercial failure, grossing $30 million on a $45 million budget, and received mixed reviews. Heard's part was said to be underdeveloped. In 2011, Heard appeared in an advertisement campaign for the fashion brand
Guess A guess (or an act of guessing) is a swift conclusion drawn from data directly at hand, and held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess (the guesser) admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certainty. A guess is als ...
. Heard next starred in the thriller ''
Paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
'' (2013), the exploitation film ''
Machete Kills ''Machete Kills'' (also known as ''Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills'') is a 2013 American action exploitation film directed by Robert Rodriguez, with a screenplay by Kyle Ward, from a story by Robert and Marcel Rodriguez. Based on the eponymo ...
'' (2013) and the satire ''
Syrup In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars ...
'' (2013), none of which were critical or commercial successes. The year also saw the US limited release of ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane''. Although the film's reviews were overall mixed to negative, Heard's performance was deemed her "most definitive to date" by the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' and "psychologically interesting" by ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. In 2014, Heard appeared in a supporting role in the commercially successful action-thriller '' 3 Days to Kill''. In 2015, Heard had a prominent supporting role in the comedy-drama ''
Magic Mike XXL ''Magic Mike XXL'' is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Gregory Jacobs, written by Reid Carolin and starring Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash and Joe Manganiello. A sequel to 2012's ''Magic Mike'', the film premiered in Hollywo ...
'', playing the love interest of the film's protagonist,
Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor. Tatum made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his breakthrough role in the 2006 dance film ''Step Up (film), Step Up''. He gained wider attention for ...
. Like its predecessor, the film was a large box office success. Heard also had a small supporting role in
Tom Hooper Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Hooper began making short films as a teenager and had his first professional short, ...
's period drama ''
The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. Summary The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the fi ...
'' (2015), and a starring role opposite
James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...
and
Ed Harris Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in ''Apollo 13'' (1995), ''The Truman Show'' (1998), ''Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award n ...
in the independent crime thriller '' The Adderall Diaries'' (2015).
IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
stated that although Heard was "miscast" in ''The Adderrall Diaries'', she "displays much potential and has succeeded in a bid to be taken more seriously". Her fourth role in 2015 was opposite
Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
in the television film '' One More Time'', which aired on
Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
. For her role as a struggling singer-songwriter, she took singing lessons and learned to play piano and guitar. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called her performance "superb" and ''The Film Stage'' stated that Heard did an "admirable job". The actress also appeared in a November 2015 episode of the American automotive reality series ''
Overhaulin' ''Overhaulin'' is an American automotive reality television series. The show originally ran for five seasons between 2004 and 2008 on TLC. After a four-year hiatus, sixth season premiered on October 2, 2012 on Velocity and Discovery (Cablevision ...
'', in which her
Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
received a makeover. It also featured the cast pranking Heard at the behest of Depp. Heard played the female lead in ''
London Fields London Fields is a park in Hackney, London, although the name also refers to the immediate area in Hackney surrounding it and London Fields station. It is common land adjoining the Hackney Central area of the London Borough of Hackney. The p ...
'', an adaptation of
Martin Amis Martin Louis Amis (born 25 August 1949) is a British novelist, essayist, memoirist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels ''Money'' (1984) and ''London Fields'' (1989). He received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his memoir '' ...
's novel about a
clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...
femme fatale who knows she will be murdered. It premiered at the
2015 Toronto International Film Festival The 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 September 2015. On 28 July 2015 the first wave of films to be screened at the Festival was announced. Jean-Marc Vallée's ''Demolition'' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naom ...
. Shortly after the screening, the film was pulled from release due to disagreements between its director and producers, and due to litigation. Heard was sued for $10 million for allegedly breaching performance and promotional obligations. The actress countersued, claiming the producers had violated a nudity rider in her contract. In September 2018, a settlement was reached, and the film was finally released. It received highly negative reviews, and Heard later stated that "it was one of the most difficult movies to film and it has proven to continue to be difficult ... I can't say I did
he character He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
justice". Jane Mulkerrins of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' wrote that Heard provided "a decent enough turn as the enigmatic icola Six that still could not save the adaptation, while Peter Sobczynski of '' RogerEbert.com'' said that she "just does not project the kind of mystery and allure" that the character requires. In 2019, Heard's performance in the film received a nomination for the
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress Razzie Award for Worst Actress is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actress of the previous year. Male actors performing in drag are eligible, as it is intended as a humorous award. The following is a list of ...
.


2017–present: DC Extended Universe and other projects

In 2017, Heard appeared as part of an ensemble cast in
Lake Bell Lake Siegel Bell (born March 24, 1979) is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She has starred in various television series, including ''Boston Legal'' (2004–2006), '' Surface'' (2005–2006), ''How to Make It in America'' (2010–2 ...
's indie comedy '' I Do... Until I Don't'' and joined the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
(DCEU) cast as Mera, a princess of an
Atlantean As an adjective, Atlantean (or Atlantian) means "of or pertaining to Atlas or Atlantis". Atlantean may also refer to: * Atlantean figures, a type of ancient artifacts * ''Atlantean'' (documentary series), a trilogy of TV films discussing the ori ...
kingdom, in the superhero film ''
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
''. She reprised the role the following year in ''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
'', which co-starred
Jason Momoa Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series '' Baywatch: Hawaii'' (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of Ronon Dex on the ...
and marked Heard's first major role in a studio film. She cited Mera's trait of being "a strong, independent, self-possessed superhero in her own right" as one of the reasons for her attraction to the role, who rejects being called Aquawoman instead of by her own name. ''Aquaman'' received mixed reviews. It was a commercial success, grossing over $1 billion. The ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''s Michael Phillips and ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''s Geoffrey Macnab respectively noted that Heard "lends a blasé air of early '50s B-movie cheese" and that she "camps it up entertainingly" as Mera. That same year, Heard was appointed global ambassador for cosmetics brand
L'Oréal Paris L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, ski ...
. In 2019, Heard had supporting roles in the independent dramas ''
Her Smell ''Her Smell'' is a 2018 American drama film written, co-produced and directed by Alex Ross Perry. It stars Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Agyness Deyn, Gayle Rankin, Ashley Benson, Dylan Gelula, Virginia Madsen and Amber Heard ...
'' and ''
Gully A gully is a landform created by running water, mass movement, or commonly a combination of both eroding sharply into soil or other relatively erodible material, typically on a hillside or in river floodplains or terraces. Gullies resemble lar ...
''. Her only project released in 2020 was ''
The Stand ''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...
'', a miniseries based on
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
's novel of the same name. She played Nadine Cross, a school teacher who is among the few survivors of an apocalyptic plague. It premiered on
CBS All Access Paramount+ is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Me ...
in December 2020, with the series finale airing in February 2021. In 2021, Heard reprised her role as Mera in the superhero film ''
Zack Snyder's Justice League ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' (colloquially referred to as the Snyder Cut) is the 2021 director's cut of the 2017 American superhero film ''Justice League'', the fifth film set within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) based on the team of ...
'', a
director's cut A director's cut is an edited version of a film (or video game, television episode, music video, or commercial) that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit in contrast to the theatrical release. "Cut" explicitly refers to the ...
of the 2017 film, for which she had also filmed new scenes. Heard is set to star in ''
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ''Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom'' is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Aquaman. Produced by DC Studios, the Safran Company, and Atomic Monster Productions, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, ...
'' (2023), a sequel to ''Aquaman''. An online petition to remove Heard from the film began following her ex-husband Depp's loss in his UK libel case and his replacement in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' films in 2020. The petition "alleges that Heard lied about her accusations against Depp and is herself 'a known and proven domestic abuser'". Heard described the campaign as "paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media", and the film's co-producer,
Peter Safran Peter Safran (born 22 November 1965) is a British-American film producer and manager. He currently serves as the co-chairperson and CEO of DC Studios alongside James Gunn. Early life After growing up in the UK, Safran graduated from Princeton Un ...
, confirmed that Heard would appear in the sequel. By the start of the 2022 ''
Depp v. Heard ''John C. Depp, II v. Amber Laura Heard'' was a trial held in Fairfax County, Virginia, from April 11 to June 1, 2022, that ruled on allegations of defamation between formerly married American actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Depp, as plain ...
'' trial in the US, the petition had reached 2 million signatures. In her testimony, Heard stated that she "'fought really hard to stay in the movie' but that 'they didn't want to include me in the film' and only shot a 'very pared-down version' of her part".
DC Films DC Studios is an American film and television studio that is a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. It is dedicated to the production of films, series, and animations based on characters from DC Comics, am ...
president
Walter Hamada Walter Hamada is an American film executive and producer. He joined New Line Cinema in 2007, where he served as an executive producer on horror films such as '' The Conjuring'' (2013), '' Annabelle'' (2014), ''The Conjuring 2'' (2016), '' Lights ...
, who testified for Depp, stated that they had considered recasting Mera but that it was due to concerns over Heard's chemistry with Momoa rather than the abuse allegations. Hamada also said that the role's reduced capacity in the sequel was because the film had always intended to focus on the relationship between Momoa and
Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...
's characters. Heard is also attached to appear in
Conor Allyn Conor Allyn is a director, screenwriter, and producer from Dallas, Texas, who is best known for the 2021 film ''No Man's Land''. Biography Allyn graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. where he received his bachelor's degree in h ...
's forthcoming period drama, ''In the Fire''.


Charity and activism

In 2012, Heard worked with
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
on a bilingual campaign to raise awareness of American immigration policy at the Mexico-United States border. In August 2016, Heard pledged to donate her $7 million divorce settlement with Johnny Depp to the
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
(ACLU) and
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children's hospital in the East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Vermont Avenue. The hospital has been academically affi ...
(CHLA). Later that year in November 2016, she issued a statement defending this pledge against allegations from
TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...
despite the fact that Depp had not yet finished paying the $7 million dollars to herthat she had not yet made the donations as she had pledged. Depp finished paying the full $7 million divorce settlement to Heard by October 2018. By then, CHLA had already recognized Heard as one of their donors by officially including her in their "Honor Roll of Donors" list for the
fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
2017. In the following year in 2019, they likewise included her in their donors list for the fiscal year 2018. In January 2021, the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'' reported an allegation made by Depp's lawyers that Heard had yet to complete her donations. In response to this claim, Heard's lawyer stated that Heard intends to "eventually fulfill her pledge" in full but has "been delayed in that goal because Mr. Depp filed a lawsuit against her, and consequently, she has been forced to spend millions of dollars." Subsequently, media outlets reported on past statements by Heard. During an appearance in the Dutch television talk show
RTL Late Night ''RTL Late Night'' was a Dutch late night television talkshow. It was broadcast from August 26, 2013, to March 4, 2019, on commercial station RTL 4 on weekdays between 22:30 and 23:40. Background In the daily program, guests are seated at a tabl ...
in October 2018, Heard said she "donated" $7 million to the ACLU and CHLA.Multiple sources: * * * * * * In her February 2020 testimony in the ''
Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd was a defamation lawsuit brought in England. The case was initiated by American actor Johnny Depp, who sued News Group Newspapers (NGN) and then executive editor Dan Wootton for libel after '' The Sun'' ran an article that claimed Depp had a ...
'' case in the UK, Heard stated that she had "donated" the "entire amount" of her divorce settlement to charity.Multiple sources: * * * * * * In the ''
Depp v. Heard ''John C. Depp, II v. Amber Laura Heard'' was a trial held in Fairfax County, Virginia, from April 11 to June 1, 2022, that ruled on allegations of defamation between formerly married American actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Depp, as plain ...
'' trial in 2022, the corporate designee of CHLA testified that as of 2021, Heard had paid $250,000 to them. In a December 2021 testimony previously used in the trial, the ACLU's chief operating officer testified that the organization expected the pledged money to come in over a 10-year period and that Heard had made no contributions since 2018. To that time, the ACLU had received a total of $1.3 million between 2016 and 2018, of which $350,000 was directly from Heard, $500,000 from a
donor advised fund In the United States, a donor-advised fund (commonly called a DAF) is a charitable giving vehicle administered by a public charity created to manage charitable donations on behalf of organizations, families, or individuals. To participate in a don ...
believed to be of
Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a business magnate and investor. He is the founder, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX; angel investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; owner and CEO of Twitter, Inc.; founder of The Bori ...
, $350,000 from another donor advised fund and $100,000 directly from Depp as part of the settlement. In 2019, the ACLU learned that Heard was "having financial problems and could not fulfill the remainder of the pledge." Heard testified that defending the case had cost her more than $6 million in legal fees. She also testified that the donation by Musk on her behalf did not count towards the final $3.5 million that she had pledged to donate and that she plans to resume her donations when she can. In November 2016, Heard was filmed for a
public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...
(PSA) on domestic violence for the #GirlGaze Project. In the PSA, she spoke about the importance of women helping each other and reminded those women affected by
violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often consi ...
(VAW) that they are not alone while also encouraging them to "speak up." She also highlighted the importance of taking responsibility for how VAW is dealt with and talked about "in the media and in our culture" with the aim of making it easier for survivors to come forward and to stand up for themselves. She echoed similar sentiments in a letter addressed to " ersilent sisters everywhere" and published in the December 2016 issue of ''
Porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...
'' magazine. In the letter, she wrote, among other things, that "No matter how terrible or terrifying surviving trauma may be, unfortunately it can pale in comparison to what follows" and that "It isn’t easy to raise your voice, to stand up for yourself and your truth and to do it ‘alone’." Furthermore, she assured "every woman who is suffering in silence" that "you are not alone" and that "You may not see us, but we are there. Your sisters are everywhere... and we are with you." In an interview for
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
's Pride and Prejudice event in March 2017 in which Heard discussed her position as an openly and activist "sexually fluid" woman, she highlighted the underrepresentation of
LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
characters in the
Hollywood film industry The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...
(henceforth referred to as ''Hollywood''). Furthermore, Heard talked about the importance of more
gay men Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, including ' ...
coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
in Hollywood because, she explained, this would go a long way towards making the industry more LGBTQ-inclusive. Later that same year in August, Heard produced a short video for ''The Economist'' in which she spoke about the
gender pay gap The gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are working. Women are generally found to be paid less than men. There are two distinct numbers regarding the pay gap: non-adjusted ...
in Hollywood and the underrepresentation of women in the industry. In April 2018, Heard joined the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) on a multi-specialty medical mission to the Al-Zaatari Refugee Camp in
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
as a
Goodwill Ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a public ...
. While there, she met a 12-year-old girl named Weam who had
thalassemia Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders characterized by decreased hemoglobin production. Symptoms depend on the type and can vary from none to severe. Often there is mild to severe anemia (low red blood cells or hemoglobin). Anemia can result ...
and needed expensive life-sustaining drugs and blood transfusions. She henceforth partnered with SAMS to help raise needed funds to aid Weam and 12 other children in the camp with thalassemia afford the costs of their treatments and to raise awareness about SAMS' humanitarian medical activities in Jordan. In the same year, Heard accepted an invitation from ACLU to become an ACLU Artist Ambassador in the capacity of which she aided ACLU's efforts in their activism for justice in gender issues. She also accepted ACLU's invitation to work with them on an op-ed to highlight sexual assault and domestic violence issues. The result of this collaboration was the op-ed that was first published by ''The Washington Post'' in her name on December 18, 2018 and that was republished by ACLU on December 27, 2018. It is this op-ed for which Depp sued her in late February/early March 2019 alleging that it had defamed him. Heard was one of the speakers at the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
's 9th Annual Social Good Summit in September 2018. In her talk, she spoke about her history of volunteer and activist work starting from her childhood school days to her more contemporary work with SAMS. She also highlighted the centrality of humans and of human connections in human activities and passionately spoke about the significance of
fairness Fairness or being fair can refer to: * Justice * The character in the award-nominated musical comedy '' A Theory of Justice: The Musical.'' * Equity (law), a legal principle allowing for the use of discretion and fairness when applying justice ...
and
justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
as embodied in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...
. Ahead of the 70th anniversary for the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Heard gave a speech, in October 2018, for the HagueTalks event 'Imagine the World We Want'. Later that same year in a week in November, Heard travelled to Mexico and visited several programs by
Smile Train Smile Train is a nonprofit organization and charity providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. Headquartered in New York City and founded in 1999, Smile Train provides free corrective cleft surgery in 87 countries, ...
. In her visits, she met with several children with cleft lips and palate that Smile Train was providing medical assistance to and also met with the children's families and the doctors that were offering the assistance to the children. In February 2019, Heard joined SAMS on a medical mission to
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
targeting Syrian refugee women living in poverty and in need of medical care. While on the mission, she visited several
informal settlements Informal housing or informal settlement can include any form of housing, shelter, or settlement (or lack thereof) which is illegal, falls outside of government control or regulation, or is not afforded protection by the state. As such, the inform ...
in
Beka'a Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...
including Al-Omaria. She also partnered with SAMS to help raise funds to establish psychosocial programs, to increase access to educational programs, and to provide vocational training, all to mostly widowed women and orphaned children in these settlements. Heard was a Human Rights Champion for the Stand Up for Human Rights campaign by the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nati ...
. In May 2019, she gave a speech in support of the SHIELD Act on
Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
, discussing her experience of having had her private nude photos hacked and distributed online without her consent during the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak. In November 2019, Heard wrote an op-ed in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in which she contested that, " revenge porn is the wrong name" as "the perpetrator disclosed the images" even though "the victim did not consent to the disclosure." Heard further argued that, "Because the patchwork of state laws fails to truly protect intimate privacy, it is vital that Congress pass legislation that does." Prior to the
2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...
, Heard appeared in an election ad created by artist
Marilyn Minter Marilyn Minter (born 1948) is an American visual artist who is perhaps best known for her sensual paintings and photographs done in the photorealism style that blur the line between commercial and fine art. Minter currently teaches in the MFA de ...
in support of
Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...
, and participated in the
VoteRiders VoteRiders is an American non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to ensure that all US citizens over 18 years old are able to exercise their right to vote. Through resources and media exposure, one of its main focuses is ...
#IDCheck Challenge on social media.


Personal life

Heard publicly
came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
in 2010, but has stated, "I don't label myself one way or another – I have had successful relationships with men and now a woman. I love who I love; it's the person that matters." Heard was in a relationship with photographer Tasya van Ree from 2008 to 2012. Heard had her last name legally changed to van Ree during the relationship and reverted to her birth name in 2014. In 2009, Heard was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence at
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , branded as SEA Airport and also referred to as Sea–Tac (), is the primary commercial airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is in the city of SeaTac, which ...
,
Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
after allegedly hitting van Ree. Heard appeared the next day in King County District Court,
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
but was not charged. The arrest was made public in 2016 during Heard's divorce proceedings from actor
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
. A statement was then issued by Heard's publicist in which van Ree said that Heard had been "wrongfully" accused and that the incident had been "misinterpreted and over-sensationalized", while also recalling "hints of
misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
attitudes toward us which later appeared to be
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
when they found out we were domestic partners and not just 'friends'" and adding that Heard and her "shared 5 wonderful years together and remain close to this day." The female officer who conducted the arrest—herself a
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
—subsequently posted on Facebook to say, "I am so not homophobic or misogynistic! The arrest was made because an assault occurred (I witnessed it)." Heard was one of the victims of the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak, in which "more than 50 of erpersonal photos were stolen and released to the public" with Heard later both speaking and writing against such breaches of privacy. Following her divorce from Johnny Depp, Heard dated tech entrepreneur and Tesla
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and shareholder
Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a business magnate and investor. He is the founder, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX; angel investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; owner and CEO of Twitter, Inc.; founder of The Bori ...
for a year, until early 2018. She later had a relationship with actress and cinematographer Bianca Butti from January 2020 to December 2021. In April 2021, Heard had her first child via
surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to delivery/labour for another person or people, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth. People may seek a surrogacy arrangement when pregnan ...
.


Relationship with Johnny Depp

Heard first met actor Johnny Depp in 2009 when she was cast in '' The Rum Diary'' opposite him. According to reports, the couple began dating in 2012 and were married in a civil ceremony in February 2015.


Australian customs incident

In April 2015, Heard and Depp breached Australia's
biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction and/or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, etc.) to animals and plants in order to minimize the risk of transmission of infectious disease. In agriculture, thes ...
laws when they failed to declare in customs the two dogs accompanying them when they flew into
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
, where Depp was working on a film. In May 2015, the dogs were flown out of the country hours before a euthanasia deadline. Later in July of the same year, only Heard was charged for this breach in the laws. By December 2015 the case had been
adjourned In parliamentary procedure, an adjournment ends a meeting. It could be done using a motion to adjourn. A time for another meeting could be set using the motion to fix the time to which to adjourn. This motion establishes an adjourned meeting. ...
four times with Heard having instructed her lawyers to enter not guilty pleas and stating that she was "looking forward" to fighting the charges. In the court case in April 2016, Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying quarantine documents, stating that she had made a mistake due to sleep deprivation. While criminal charges were dropped, she was placed on a A$1,000 (US$) one-month good behaviour bond for producing a false document; Heard and Depp released a video apologizing for their behavior and urging others to adhere to biosecurity laws.


Divorce

Heard filed for divorce from Depp in May 2016 and obtained a temporary
restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protection or ...
against him, releasing a statement saying that, "During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me. I endured excessive emotional, verbal and physical abuse from Johnny, which has included angry, hostile, humiliating and threatening assaults to me whenever I questioned his authority or disagreed with him." In response Depp's council said that, "Amber is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse", and that, "He is unable to attend the hearing on this matter and has not heard Amber's specific allegations against him. He nonetheless has every intention of staying away from Amber and will stipulate to mutual stay-away and personal conduct orders." A ruling on the scale of the settlement was achieved in August 2016, and Heard pledged to donate the proceeds equally between the ACLU and CHLA. Heard dropped her request for a continued restraining order, and they issued a joint statement saying that their "relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm". The final terms of the settlement were agreed in January 2017 with Depp being required to complete the payment of $7 million to Heard by February 2018, contribute $500,000 towards Heard's attorneys fees, and to give Heard custody of their two dogs, a horse and two cars. Depp was to retain all his real estate assets and 42 vehicles; no spousal support would be paid by either party. In her 2022 testimony, Heard stated that because they had no pre-nuptial agreement, she would have been entitled to half of Depp's earnings of $65 million during the marriage had she requested it.


''Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd''

In June 2018, Depp brought a
libel lawsuit Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
in the United Kingdom against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the company publishing '' The Sun'', which had labeled him a "wife beater" in an April 2018 article. Heard was a key witness for NGN during the highly publicized trial in July 2020. In November 2020, the presiding judge found that Depp had lost his claim and that "the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms. Heard by Mr. Depp 2 out of the 14have been proved to the civil standard". The court rejected Depp's claim of a hoax, and accepted that the allegations Heard had made against Depp had damaged her career and activism. Depp's appeal to overturn the verdict was rejected in March 2021.


''Depp v. Heard''

In February 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation over a December 2018 op-ed for ''The Washington Post''. In the lawsuit, Depp alleged that the op-ed contained three defamatory statements, the first of which was a headline: * "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change." * "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out." * "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse." Depp also alleged that Heard had been the one who abused him, and that her allegations constituted a hoax against him. In August 2020, Heard filed a counterclaim against Depp, alleging that he had coordinated "a harassment campaign via Twitter and yorchestrating online petitions to get her fired from ''Aquaman'' and L'Oréal." Ultimately, Heard's counterclaim went to trial over three allegations that Depp had defamed her through statements made by his then-lawyer, Adam Waldman, published in the ''Daily Mail'' in April 2020, where Waldman stated: * "Heard and her friends in the media used fake sexual violence allegations as both sword and shield", publicizing a "sexual violence hoax" against Depp. * ...in one incident at a penthouse, "Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911" as "an ambush, a hoax" against Depp. * ...there had been an "abuse hoax" by Heard against Depp. The Depp-Heard trial took place in
Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
between April 11 and June 1, 2022. The verdict was that for Depp's lawsuit, the jury found that all three statements from Heard's op-ed were false, defamed Depp, and were made with
actual malice Actual malice in United States law is a legal requirement imposed upon public officials or public figures when they file suit for libel (defamatory printed communications). Compared to other individuals who are less well known to the general pub ...
, so the jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 due to a limit imposed by Virginia state law. For Heard's counterclaim, the jury found that Waldman's first and third statements to the ''Daily Mail'' had not been proven to be defamatory, while finding that Waldman's second statement to the ''Daily Mail'' was false, defamatory and made with actual malice. As a result, Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and zero in punitive damages from Depp. Over the course of the trial, online public sentiment was seen as highly negative towards Heard, there was a perception that she was less than truthful in her testimony which was mocked widely. Heard said she was "harassed, humiliated, threatened every single day" and described online criticism of her testimony as "agonizing". After the trial, Heard said she did not "blame" the jury for the verdict, because Depp was a "fantastic actor" and "people feel they know him". An interviewer hypothesised that the jury had not believed Heard's testimony and evidence, Heard questioned how the jury could believe her after "listening to three-and-a-half weeks of testimony about how I was a non-credible person". The day after the verdict was read, Heard's lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, told interviewers that Heard could not afford to pay the damages owed to Depp and would appeal the verdict. A month later, one of Heard's insurance providers, New York Marine, sued Heard in federal court, wanting to avoid paying up to $1 million for her legal defense fees in the Virginia case, arguing that the "jury's factual findings establish that Heard's liability is caused by the willful act(s) of Heard", hence New York Marine is "not liable" for the loss. After Heard appealed the verdict, Heard in December 2022
settled A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...
the case against Depp, publicly stating that even if her appeal succeeds, she "simply cannot go through" a retrial, while maintaining that the settlement was "not an act of concession"; meanwhile Depp's lawyers stated that the "jury's unanimous decision and the resulting judgement in Mr. Depp's favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place", and that the settlement would result in $1 million being paid to Depp, which "Depp is pledging and will donate to charities.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heard, Amber 1986 births Living people 21st-century American actresses Activists from Texas Actresses from Austin, Texas American Civil Liberties Union people American film actresses American human rights activists American television actresses American women activists American atheists 21st-century atheists Former Roman Catholics American LGBT actors LGBT actresses LGBT people from Texas Johnny Depp L'Oréal people