Megha
| Full name | Amber Laura Heard |
| DOB | April 22, 1986 |
| Age | 37 |
| Other names | Amber Laura Depp, Amber van Ree |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse | Johnny Depp (m. 2015; Div. 2017) |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Children | 1 |
| Child’s name | Oonagh Paige Heard |
| Parents | Paige Heard, David C. Heard |
| Height | 5′ 7″ (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 60kg |
| Religion | Not known |
| Nation | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Tauras |
Who Is Amber Heard?
Amber Heard, an American actress, and model, was born on April 22, 1986, in Texas. She started her film career with a small supporting role in the sports drama Friday Night Lights (2004). After that, she appeared in various minor roles in both television and film. Her first leading role was in the horror movie All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006), but it faced distribution issues and was only released in the United States in 2013. She then took on another significant role in the short television series called The CW Hidden Palms (2007).
Net Worth
Amber Heard is a well-known American actress, but she has also gained a lot of notoriety, especially due to her recent defamation lawsuit with her ex-husband. As of 2023, Amber Heard’s estimated net worth is $1 million, which is significantly lower than her previous net worth of $11 million.
Early Life
Heard was born in Austin, Texas, as the middle child among three daughters. Her parents were Patricia Paige (née Parsons) and David Clinton Heard. They lived outside of Austin. Heard’s father had a passion for training horses, and she grew up enjoying activities like horse riding, hunting, and fishing with him. When she was younger, she took part in beauty pageants, but as she grew older, she decided she could no longer support the objectification associated with them. She was raised in the Catholic faith but became an atheist at the age of sixteen after her best friend died in a car accident. Feeling uncomfortable in the conservative and religious atmosphere of Texas, Amber made a decision to drop out of her Catholic high school the following year. Her aim was to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. Eventually, she obtained her diploma through a home-study course.
Personal Life
Before becoming a Hollywood star and now being the subject of media attention, Heard was known as an introverted schoolgirl. A former classmate remembered their old school days and told the Daily Mail that Heard was very quiet and earned the nickname “Amber seen and not Heard” because of her shyness. Despite her quiet nature, the classmate said Heard was always ambitious. She often talked about becoming an actress, showing that her mind was set on pursuing that dream. At the age of 16, Heard experienced a tragic event when her best friend died in a car accident. This devastating loss led her to become an atheist, as reported by the Independent. She shared with USA Today that it was the most emotionally challenging experience she had ever faced, making her realize the uncertainty of tomorrow. From then on, she embraced the belief that “Today is what I have.” Following her friend’s death, Heard met her first serious boyfriend, who introduced her to the writings of Ayn Rand, a Russian-born atheist. According to Nicki Swift, she read all of Rand’s books and became deeply interested in her ideals. Heard expressed her fascination, saying, “Ever since then, I have been obsessed with her ideals. All I’ve ever needed is myself.” In an interview with Rob Brink for Misbehave, as reported by Friendly Athiest, the topic of religion came up, and Heard was asked about her Catholic upbringing. She expressed gratitude for her upbringing, which provided her with enough knowledge about organized religion to make an informed decision about her beliefs. Heard stated that she chose to live her life without organized religion because she had learned a lot about Christianity, especially Catholicism, and found it to be completely absurd for her to believe in it. Her education gave her the freedom to make this choice.
Heard publicly revealed her sexual orientation in 2010. However, she does not like to label herself and has stated that she loves who she loves, regardless of gender. From 2008 to 2012, she was in a relationship with photographer Tasya van Ree. During their relationship, Heard legally changed her last name to van Ree, but she reverted to her birth name in 2014. In 2009, Heard was arrested. It was for misdemeanor domestic violence at an airport in Washington state after an alleged incident with van Ree. However, she was not charged. The arrest became public during Heard’s divorce proceedings with Johnny Depp, and van Ree defended her. He stated that the incident had been misinterpreted and over-sensationalized. She also pointed out that there were hints of homophobic attitudes when people found out they were in a same-sex relationship. The female officer who conducted the arrest, who herself is a lesbian, later clarified on Facebook that the arrest happened because an assault had occurred and that her actions were not driven by homophobia or misogyny. In 2014, Heard was one of the victims of the celebrity nude photo leak, in which more than 50 of her personal photos were stolen and made public. She has since spoken out against such privacy breaches. After her divorce from Johnny Depp, Heard dated tech entrepreneur and Tesla CEO Elon Musk for about a year until early 2018. She then had a relationship with actress and cinematographer Bianca Butti from January 2020 to December 2021. In April 2021, Heard welcomed her first child, a daughter, through surrogacy. As of June 2023, she resides in Madrid, Spain.
Heard Broke Biosecurity Laws
In April 2015, Heard and Depp broke Australia’s biosecurity laws. It was when they didn’t declare their two dogs during customs when entering Queensland, where Depp was working on a film. In May 2015, the dogs were sent out of the country just before the deadline to euthanize them. In July of the same year, only Heard was charged for the breach. The case was adjourned four times until December 2015, when Heard pleaded not guilty and expressed her intent to fight the charges. However, in April 2016, during the court case, she pleaded guilty to falsifying quarantine documents, explaining it was a mistake due to lack of sleep. Criminal charges were dropped, but she was placed on a one-month good behavior bond and had to pay a fine of A$1,000 (US$752) for producing a false document. Both Heard and Depp released an apology video, admitting their mistake and encouraging others to follow biosecurity laws.
Divorce with Johnny Depp
In May 2016, Heard filed for divorce from Depp and got a temporary restraining order against him. She said that throughout their relationship, Depp was verbally and physically abusive to her. He was abusive whenever she questioned his authority or disagreed with him. Depp’s lawyer responded by saying that Heard was making up abuse allegations. It was to get money early. In August 2016, a settlement was reached about the amount of money to be given. Heard decided to split the money equally between two organizations, the ACLU and CHLA. She also dropped her request for a restraining order.
They both released a joint statement, acknowledging that their relationship was passionate and sometimes turbulent, but they never falsely accused each other of financial gain, and there was no intention of causing harm to each other. The final terms of the settlement were agreed upon in January 2017. Depp had to pay $7 million to Heard by February 2018 and also contribute $500,000 towards her attorney’s fees. Heard was given custody of their pets and two cars. Depp kept all his properties and vehicles, and neither party had to pay spousal support. Heard mentioned in her testimony in 2022 that since they didn’t have a pre-nuptial agreement, she could have asked for half of Depp’s earnings, which were $65 million during their marriage.
Depp Vs. Heard
In February 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation. It was because of an article she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018. Depp claimed that the article had three statements. They were untrue and hurt his reputation. Heard’s article had statements about her experience with speaking out against sexual violence and facing backlash for it. Depp believed these statements were false and damaging to his image. He also alleged that Heard was the one who abused him and that her accusations against him were part of a scheme. In August 2020, Heard filed a counterclaim against Depp. She accused him of harassing her through Twitter and online petitions, trying to get her fired from her job. The trial focused on three statements made by Depp’s lawyer in the Daily Mail in April 2020, where the lawyer said that Heard and her friends used fake sexual violence allegations against Depp as a way to harm him.
In simple terms, Depp sued Heard for saying things about him that he believed were untrue and harmful. Heard then filed a counterclaim, accusing Depp of harassing her. The trial later focused on statements made by Depp’s lawyer in the media, where he claimed that Heard made up false accusations against Depp. The Depp-Heard trial took place in Virginia from April 11 to June 1, 2022. The jury decided that all three statements made by Heard in her op-ed were false. They harmed Depp’s reputation. They awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 because of a limit in Virginia state law. For Heard’s counterclaim, the jury found that some statements made by Depp’s lawyer in the Daily Mail were false and defamatory. They didn’t award her any punitive damages. During the trial, online public opinion was mostly against Heard, with many people making fun of her and calling her names. She mentioned feeling harassed and humiliated because of this.
After the trial, she said she didn’t blame the jury, suggesting they might have favored Depp because of his fame and not just the evidence. Heard expressed her frustration, as she felt that the jury had already formed negative opinions about her before hearing her testimony, making it difficult for them to believe her even when she spoke in court. The day after the verdict, Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, said in interviews that Heard couldn’t afford to pay the damages to Depp and planned to appeal the decision. Later, one of Heard’s insurance providers, New York Marine, sued her in federal court, not wanting to pay up to $1 million for her legal defense fees in the Virginia case. They argued that the jury’s findings showed that Heard’s actions caused the liability, so they shouldn’t be responsible for the loss.
Both Depp and Heard filed to appeal the verdict. However, in December 2022, they reached a settlement. Heard publicly said that even if her appeal succeeded, she couldn’t handle going through another trial, but she maintained that settling wasn’t admitting fault. Depp’s lawyers clarified that the jury’s decision and judgment in Depp’s favor still stood. As part of the settlement, Heard’s insurer would pay $1 million to Depp, which he pledged to donate to charities.
Psychologist says Amber Heard has PTSD from domestic violence and dismisses Depp’s ‘mutual abuse’ claim:
A forensic psychologist who testified for Amber Heard’s defense said that the actress suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of domestic violence. The psychologist also rejected the claim that both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were responsible for “mutual abuse,” which was previously stated by their marriage counselor during the trial.
The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began on April 11 in Fairfax, Virginia. Depp sued his ex-wife in March 2019, claiming that she defamed him in an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 titled “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” Dr. Dawn Hughes testified in court that her main opinion is that Amber Heard’s account of intimate partner violence, as well as the documents related to the case, align with what is known in the field about such situations. She also stated that Heard displayed evident psychological and traumatic effects in response to statements made by Johnny Depp’s lawyer, which led Heard to file a countersuit against Depp.
Dr. Dawn Hughes testified. She diagnosed Amber Heard with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It was due to the intimate partner violence by Johnny Depp. These contradicted earlier statements made by psychologist Dr. Shannon Curry, who was called by Depp’s team, suggesting that Heard had “histrionic and borderline personality disorders” and exaggerated her PTSD symptoms. Dr. Hughes spent 29 hours with Heard over Zoom and in person in New York City. She believes that Heard’s childhood experiences had an impact on her. Heard’s parents were abusive. Her father was described as explosive, while both parents had substance abuse issues.
Dr. Hughes said Heard learned early in life to take care of others and live in a chaotic environment. She thought she could fix Mr. Depp, as she tried to fix her parents. Heard told Dr. Hughes that Depp had physically and sexually assaulted her. She claimed he pushed, shoved, slapped, choked, and even kicked her. She also reported experiencing bruises, cuts, and vaginal pain due to sexual assaults. In her 2018 op-ed, Heard mentioned that she had been harassed and sexually assaulted in college. She chose to stay silent as she didn’t expect justice from reporting such incidents. However, when she became a public figure representing domestic abuse, she faced strong criticism and backlash from the culture for speaking out.
Career History
2003–2007
Heard started her acting career with appearances in music videos. It was for Kenny Chesney’s “There Goes My Life” and Eisley’s “I Wasn’t Prepared.” She then took on small supporting roles in several television series. It included Jack & Bobby (2004), The Mountain (2004), and The O.C. (2005). Her film debut was in a minor role. It was in the sports drama Friday Night Lights (2004),. It was followed by brief supporting roles in movies like Drop Dead Sexy (2005), North Country (2005), Side FX (2005), Price to Pay (2006), Alpha Dog (2006), and Spin (2007). She also guest-starred in an episode of the TV series Criminal Minds. Heard’s first leading role came in the unconventional slasher film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. However, it faced distribution problems and wasn’t released in Europe until 2008 and in the US until 2013. In 2007, she played the love interest of the main character in The CW’s teen drama Hidden Palms. The series received mixed reviews and poor ratings, leading to its cancellation after airing only eight of the planned 12 episodes. That same year, Heard appeared in the short movie Day 73 with Sarah, the teen drama Remember the Daze, and an episode of the Showtime series Californication.
2008–2016
In 2008, Heard gained widespread recognition with supporting roles in two successful films. They were the stoner comedy Pineapple Express and the martial arts drama Never Back Down. they were both produced by Judd Apatow. Her appearance in the ensemble cast of The Informers, based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, received negative reviews. The following year, Heard starred in The Joneses alongside David Duchovny and Demi Moore. Her performance was praised, with Variety stating that she “stole the show” from Moore. She also had a brief appearance in the hit film Zombieland. During this time, she appeared in several independent films with limited releases. She also appeared in horror films like The Stepfather and The Ward, which were poorly received by critics. In 2011, Heard appeared in the supernatural action thriller Drive Angry alongside Nicolas Cage. The film received negative reviews and didn’t do well commercially. But critics praised her performance. She also made an appearance on the British TV show Top Gear. Next, she starred in NBC’s crime drama series The Playboy Club, set in the 1960s Chicago Playboy Club. The show faced criticism and protests, leading to its cancellation after only three episodes. Her third role in 2011 was as the love interest of Johnny Depp’s character in The Rum Diary, based on Hunter S. Thompson’s work. The film performed poorly at the box office and received mixed reviews, with some critics noting that Heard’s role was not fully developed. Additionally, she appeared in an advertisement campaign for the fashion brand Guess in 2011.
After her previous films’ lackluster reception, Heard starred in the thriller Paranoia. She was also in the exploitation film Machete Kills and the satire Syrup in 2013. Unfortunately, none of these movies were well-received by critics or audiences. The same year, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane finally had a limited release in the US. It received mixed to negative reviews. Heard’s performance was praised as her most definitive to date. In 2014, she appeared in a supporting role in the commercially successful action-thriller. It was 3 Days to Kill. The following year, Heard had a significant supporting role in the comedy-drama. It was Magic Mike XXL, which became a box office hit. She also appeared in Tom Hooper’s period drama The Danish Girl. She starred in the independent crime thriller The Adderall Diaries alongside James Franco and Ed Harris. Despite some criticism of her casting in The Adderall Diaries, critics acknowledged her potential and seriousness as an actress. In 2015, she also starred in the television film One More Time opposite Christopher Walken, playing the role of a struggling singer-songwriter. She received praise for her superb performance. Additionally, Heard made an appearance on the automotive reality series Overhaulin’, where her Mustang received a makeover, and the cast played a prank on her at the request of Depp.
Heard took on the female lead role. It was in the film London Fields. The film was based on Martin Amis’s novel about a clairvoyant femme fatale who knows she will be murdered. The movie premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It faced several issues, leading to its release being delayed. Shortly after the screening, disagreements between the director and producers, along with legal disputes, caused the film to be pulled from release. Heard was sued for $10 million for allegedly breaching her performance and promotional obligations. She countersued, claiming the producers violated a nudity rider in her contract. In September 2018, a settlement was reached, and the film was finally released. It received negative reviews. Heard expressed that filming the movie was extremely challenging. She felt that she couldn’t do justice to her character. Critics mentioned that Heard’s performance was decent but not enough to save the poorly received adaptation. Her portrayal lacked the necessary mystery and allure required for the character. In 2019, her performance in London Fields earned her a nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress.
2017–present
In 2017, Heard took part in the indie comedy I Do… Until I Don’t, where she was part of an ensemble cast. She also joined the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). She was Mera, a princess from an Atlantean kingdom, in the superhero film Justice League. The following year, she reprised her role as Mera in Aquaman. It was a major studio film starring Jason Momoa. Heard was attracted to the character of Mera. It was because she portrayed a strong, independent, and self-possessed superhero in her own right, not overshadowed by being called “Aquawoman.” Aquaman received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide. Some critics appreciated Heard’s performance, describing it as having a hint of early ’50s B-movie cheese and being entertainingly campy. In the same year, Heard was chosen as the global ambassador for the cosmetics brand L’Oréal Paris. In 2019, Heard appeared in supporting roles in the independent dramas Her Smell and Gully. Her only project released in 2020 was The Stand, a miniseries based on Stephen King’s novel, where she played a school teacher named Nadine Cross, one of the few survivors of an apocalyptic plague. In 2021, she reprised her role as Mera in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which was a director’s cut of the 2017 film, and included new scenes.
Heard is set to star in the upcoming film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is a sequel to Aquaman. However, an online petition to remove her from the film emerged after her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, lost his UK libel case and was replaced in the Fantastic Beasts films in 2020. The petition alleges that Heard lied about her accusations against Depp and is herself a known domestic abuser. Despite the petition, Heard confirmed her appearance in the sequel, and the film’s co-producer also confirmed her involvement. During the 2022 Depp v. Heard trial in the US, the petition garnered 2 million signatures. Heard mentioned in her testimony that she fought to stay in the movie, but the producers decided to reduce her role. DC Films president Walter Hamada testified that the decision to reduce her role was not related to abuse allegations but rather to the focus on other characters’ relationships in the film. After the trial, Heard’s first role was in the film In the Fire, directed by Conor Allyn, which premiered at the Taormina Film Fest in June 2023.
Charity and Activism
In 2012, Heard collaborated with Amnesty International. It was a campaign to raise awareness about American immigration policy at the Mexico-United States border. In August 2016, after her divorce settlement with Johnny Depp, Heard pledged to donate the $7 million she received to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). There were allegations from TMZ that she hadn’t fulfilled her pledge, even though Depp had not yet completed his payments to her. Heard defended herself against these claims. Later confirmed that Depp had paid the full settlement by October 2018. Both the ACLU and CHLA acknowledged Heard as a donor in their official lists for the fiscal years 2017 and 2018. In January 2021, there were reports that Heard had not yet completed her donations. In response, her lawyer stated that she intends to fulfill her pledge in full. It has been delayed due to legal expenses resulting from Depp’s lawsuit against her. Some media outlets reported on past statements by Heard. There she mentioned donating the full amount to charity in interviews and testimonies during the legal proceedings.
During the Depp v. Heard trial in 2022, it was revealed that Heard had paid $250,000 to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) as of 2021. However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) testified. They have not received any contributions from Heard since 2018. The ACLU expected the pledged money to come in over a 10-year period, and until 2018, they had received a total of $1.3 million. It included donations from Heard, Elon Musk (through a donor-advised fund), and Johnny Depp as part of the settlement. In 2019, the ACLU learned that Heard was facing financial difficulties. She couldn’t fulfill the remainder of her pledge. She testified. She defended the case had cost her more than $6 million in legal fees. She plans to resume her donations when she can. In November 2016, Heard participated in a public service announcement (PSA) on domestic violence for the #GirlGaze Project. In the PSA, she emphasized the importance of women supporting each other and encouraged survivors of violence against women (VAW) to speak up. She also addressed the significance of handling VAW in the media and culture to make it easier for survivors to come forward.
In a letter published in Porter magazine in December 2016, Heard wrote about the challenges of surviving trauma and encouraged women who are suffering in silence, letting them know they are not alone and that their sisters are there to support them. In March 2017, Heard spoke in an interview. It was for The Economist’s Pride and Prejudice event about her identity as a “sexually fluid” woman and her activism. She emphasized the lack of LGBTQ representation in Hollywood. She talked about the importance of more gay men coming out to create a more inclusive industry. Later in August of that year, she produced a video for The Economist. It discussed the gender pay gap and the underrepresentation of women in Hollywood. In April 2018, Heard joined the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). It was done as a Goodwill Ambassador and visited the Al-Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. During her visit, she met a 12-year-old girl. Her name was Weam. She needed expensive medical treatments for thalassemia. Heard partnered with SAMS to raise funds to support Weam and 12 other children with thalassemia in the camp and to raise awareness about SAMS’ humanitarian efforts in Jordan. The same year, Heard became an ACLU Artist Ambassador, supporting their activism for justice in gender issues. She also collaborated with ACLU on an op-ed highlighting sexual assault and domestic violence issues. The op-ed, published in December 2018, became the subject of a defamation lawsuit filed by Depp against her in early 2019.
In September 2018, Heard was a speaker at the United Nations’ 9th Annual Social Good Summit. During her talk, she discussed her history of volunteer and activist work. It was from her school days to her current involvement with SAMS. She emphasized the importance of human connections. She emphasized the values of fairness and justice embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In October 2018, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Heard gave a speech at the HagueTalks event. It was ‘Imagine the World We Want.’ Later that same year, in November, Heard visited Mexico and several programs run by Smile Train. She met with children with cleft lips and palates. They were receiving medical help from the organization. Their families and the doctors were providing the care. In February 2019, Heard joined SAMS on a medical mission to Lebanon, targeting Syrian refugee women in need of medical care. During the mission, she visited informal settlements in Beka’a Valley, including Al-Omaria. She also partnered with SAMS. It was to raise funds for psychosocial programs, educational access, and vocational training, primarily for widowed women and orphaned children in these settlements. Heard was recognized as a Human Rights Champion for the Stand Up for Human Rights campaign. It was done by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In May 2019, she gave a speech on Capitol Hill in support of the SHIELD Act. She shared her personal experience of having her private nude photos hacked. It was distributed online without her consent during the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak. Later that year, she wrote an op-ed in The New York Times. She argued that the term “revenge porn” is misleading. It places blame on the victim rather than the perpetrator who shared the images without consent. She called for stronger legislation to protect intimate privacy. In November 2019, Heard was recognized, along with others, at the 2019 Emery Awards. It was organized by the Hetrick-Martin Institute. It was for their activism and dedication to supporting disenfranchised youth. Prior to the 2020 United States presidential election, Heard appeared in an election ad supporting Planned Parenthood, and she also participated in the VoteRiders #IDCheck Challenge on social media.
