Amber Heard has made an unexpected return to the public eye in a new documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, revisiting her experience during the highly publicized legal battles that followed her allegations against ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The film, Silenced, debuted Saturday (January 24) and frames famous accused men using defamation lawsuits as a tool to silence women who speak publicly about being taken advantage of.
Highlights
- Amber Heard appeared in a Sundance documentary, her first film project since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
- Silenced explores how defamation lawsuits are used to deter women from speaking publicly about being taken advantage of.
- Online critics rejected Heard’s framing of events and revisited the 2022 defamation trial.
Directed by Selina Miles and co-created with international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, the documentary follows several women whose efforts to seek accountability were derailed by nine-figure legal threats.
Heard’s appearance marks the first film project she has participated in since 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Amber Heard returned in a documentary exploring the financial and reputational costs of defamation lawsuits
Image credits: Getty/Ernesto Ruscio
Silenced places Heard’s experience alongside those of other women impacted by defamation litigation.
Among the film’s subjects are Brittany Higgins, an Australian political staffer who accused a senior colleague of r*pe; Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, editor of the Latin American magazine Volcánica, who was sued by director Ciro Guerra after publishing serial allegations of misconduct; and Sibongile Ndashe, a human rights attorney working with survivors of gender-based violence.
Image credits: "Silenced" / Sundance Institute
Robinson, who assisted Heard during her involvement in Depp’s 2018 libel lawsuit against British newspaper The Sun, explained the broader pattern the film seeks to document.
Depp sued the outlet after it criticized his casting in Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts franchise and referred to allegations of domestic violence raised by Heard.
“Camera rolls out red carpet for violent ‘wife-beater’ Depp,” the outlet wrote.
Image credits: Entertain_on_X
Robinson warned of what she described as the “chilling effect” these lawsuits have had on women coming forward.
“In the post ‘Me Too’ world, we saw women break the cultural silence, speaking out publicly about gender-based violence,” Robinson said.
“What we then saw is their alleged perpetrator bringing a defamation claim saying, ‘This is not true, it’s defamatory, and I’m going to sue you for a lot of money.’”
Judges rejected Depp’s claim in July 2020.
Robinson said the monetary cost of seeking justice is enough to silence most victimized women
Image credits: Getty/Win McNamee
“He can sue you, you just then have to prove it in court. But it’s very expensive to do so, and it bankrupts most women,” she said, recounting conversations she’s had with her clients.
“What does free speech mean if you can’t afford to defend it?”
Image credits: Getty/Jason Merritt
Heard said her decision to participate in Silenced was not about revisiting her own story, but about illustrating that imbalance.
“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,” she said.
Image credits: Getty/Maria Moratti
The film revisits the atmosphere surrounding the Depp v. The Sun trial, depicting Heard as a constant target of public hostility.
For the duration of the proceedings, Depp supporters gathered outside court, many dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, shouting insults and throwing trash at Heard as she entered and exited the building.
Image credits: FilmJunkie82
Image credits: amberheard
Heard described her position in the case as a lose-lose situation.
“The outcome of that trial depended on my participation, and I depended on the outcome of that trial,” she said.
“When I first met [Robinson], I immediately got the sense that she got the bigger picture. What has happened to me is an amplified version of what a lot of women live through.”
Heard said the film helped her find strength in the experiences of others. Netizens, however, remain unconvinced
“It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight. Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power,” she said.
“Looking at my daughter’s face as she grows up and slowly starts to walk into this world… I believe it can be better.”
Image credits: FryingPan67
Image credits: amberheard
The online reaction to Heard’s appearance in the documentary was largely dismissive, with critics rejecting her framing of events and questioning the film’s premise.
“Her and Blake Lively can ride into the sunset together,” one commenter wrote. “No one feels more sorry for Amber Heard than Amber Heard.”
Others revisited the televised defamation trial between Heard and Depp, which dominated headlines in 2022.
“I watched every second of the trial and listened to the recordings,” a detractor said. “She was not a victim.”
Silenced is currently seeking distribution, as per Variety.
"Not a victim." The documentary did little to sway netizens' opinions of Amber Heard
