Amber Heard has discussed the aftermath of her split from Johnny Depp, saying that she lost out on jobs after accusing him of domestic violence.
The ‘Aquaman’ star first made the allegations – which Depp has denied – in May 2016, when she sought a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband.
The couple’s divorce was subsequently settled outside of court and while this meant many details of the split remained private, some pieces of evidence leaked to the press, including a video of Depp drinking and appearing to throw a bottle in his kitchen.
As their split dominated tabloid headlines, both Heard and Depp faced scrutiny in the press and the actress has now said her career also suffered as a result.
Writing in a Washington Post op-ed, Heard says when she “became a public figure representing domestic abuse, [...] I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out”.
“Friends and advisers told me I would never again work as an actress — that I would be blacklisted,” she writes. “A movie I was attached to recast my role. I had just shot a two-year campaign as the face of a global fashion brand, and the company dropped me.
“Questions arose as to whether I would be able to keep my role of Mera in the movies ‘Justice League’ and ‘Aquaman’.”
Heard adds that in the aftermath of the split she also “had to change my phone number weekly because I was getting death threats”.
“For months, I rarely left my apartment, and when I did, I was pursued by camera drones and photographers on foot, on motorcycles and in cars,” she writes. “Tabloid outlets that posted pictures of me spun them in a negative light.
“I felt as though I was on trial in the court of public opinion — and my life and livelihood depended on myriad judgments far beyond my control.”
In the years since the split, Heard has continued to advocate for domestic violence survivors and she’s now calling for them to “receive more support” when coming forward.
When they formally separated, Heard and Depp issued a joint statement, in which they labelled their marriage “at times volatile, but always bound by love”.
Heard then donated her entire £7 million settlement to charity, giving half to an organisation that works to prevent domestic violence.