Insider Drops Claims About Why Amber Heard Had To ‘Get Out’ Of The U.S. Following Defamation Case With Johnny Depp

Amber Heard had been quietly living in Spain in the aftermath of the viral defamation trial with her ex Johnny Depp. A few weeks ago, however, she came out of the woodwork in support of her new movie In The Fire and even opened up about how her personal life has been impacting her Hollywood career. Heard said she’s “not in control" of the narrative about her, and she’s trying to move forward. Insiders are still commenting, however.  

One recently claimed the actress had to “get out” following her highly publicized trial with her ex-partner Johnny Depp, which devolved into comments about a million alpacas (what it would take to bring Depp back to Pirates) and questions about whether Amber or one of the couple’s dogs had pooped in their bed. The lion’s share of the verdict ultimately fell in the Pirates actor’s favor, and Depp ultimately donated the money from the settlement to varying charities in what may have been a nod to Amber Heard saying she’d donate their divorce settlement to charity. 

Several individuals spoke to People for a cover article, noting Heard is “independent and smart” and that moving with her (now) two-year-old daughter Oonagh Paige is giving her the time and space to “heal.” Another insider told the outlet: 

[Heard] has new energy and is focused on things that she loves.

The comments echo previous insider thoughts about Heard taking a step back to avoid the “noise” around the trial. While she hasn’t spoken at length about why she left the U.S., at the In The Fire premiere, Heard did seem to be happy to be back in the thick of things again. She was all smiles on the red carpet, and also spoke out about her upcoming work in Aquaman 2

One of the major points of contention in the title was whether the actress would be returning as Mera or not. Reports at the trial indicated Heard may have a reduced role in the hotly anticipated but oft delayed Jason Momoa starrer. 

Meanwhile, the actress sold her U.S. home in the Yucca Valley, with some reports hedging she used the money to pay Depp and his legal team after the trial had run its course. It's not known whether she'll return to the States at any point, but it's been clear over the last several weeks that's ready to be back in the public eye -- at least when it comes to her acting career. 

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.