Amber Heard Says She’s “Afraid of Getting Sued Again” by Johnny Depp for Speaking Out Post-Trial

• Amber Heard’s interview with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie aired in full on Friday.
• Heard said that she is afraid that Johnny Depp might sue her again following their defamation trial.
• “I took for granted what I assumed was my right to speak,” the actor said.

Amber Heard said she is worried about what she can say publicly after a Virginia jury found her responsible for harming her ex-husband Johnny Depp‘s reputation. This comes after weeks of sensational testimony in the highly-publicized trial.

Heard said she was scared that Depp would sue her for defamation again if she continued to talk about the trial.

“I took for granted what I assumed was my right to speak. I’m scared that no matter what I do or what I say or how I say it — every step that I take will present another opportunity for this sort of silencing, which is what, I guess, a defamation lawsuit is meant to do — to take your voice,” Heard said.

The defamation trial that took place earlier this year in a Virginia court was centered around a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. In the op-ed, Heard implied that she was a survivor of sexual and domestic violence. She said that she received vitriol as a result of speaking publicly about it. The piece did not name Depp, but he responded by taking Heard to court. He accused his ex-wife of ruining his reputation and career by insinuating in the op-ed that he abused her.

Depp was sued for $100 million by his ex-wife. The suit alleges that Depp assaulted her before and during their marriage, which ended in divorce in 2016. Depp denied the claims.

The jury found that both Heard and Depp had said mean things about each other, but Depp was given a bigger pay out.

In her first interview after the trial, Heard said that she stands by what she said in court. She also said that it was hard to testify because of all of Depp’s fans who were there.

“In the courtroom, I am testifying about sexual assault and violence in front of a jury in a packed courtroom of people who are expressing their disdain for me,” she told Guthrie.

Apparently, the police had to set up barricades around the courthouse to protect Heard from the large number of fans of Captain Jack Sparrow who were camped outside each day.

The trial inspired a lot of internet engagement. A lot of people seemed to support Depp. Heard said she doesn’t blame the jury for their verdict in the case.

“I’m not a good victim, I get it. I’m not a likable victim. I’m not a saint,” she said. “I’m not asking anyone to like me.”

However, Heard said she fears the outcome may have a negative effect on domestic violence survivors.

“What I learned in that trial is it’s never going to be good enough. If you have proof, then it was a scheme, it was a hoax,” she said. “If you don’t have proof, it didn’t happen.”

The spokesperson for Depp responded to Heard’s interview by accusing her of talking about the case in the media again.

“It’s unfortunate that while Johnny is looking to move forward with his life, the defendant and her team are back to repeating, reimagining and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the Court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnny’s favor,” the representative told Insider.

Heard told Guthrie that she plans to appeal her case. She wants to focus on being a mother to her young daughter.