Amber Heard Says ‘I’ve Lost My Ability to Speak’ in New Sundance Documentary

Amber Heard has made a rare and unexpected public return with an appearance in a timely new documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, examining how defamation lawsuits are increasingly used to silence women who speak out about abuse.

The film, “Silenced,” debuted Saturday in Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition. Directed by Selina Miles and co-created with international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, the documentary explores what legal experts describe as the “weaponization” of defamation law — particularly high-value lawsuits designed to intimidate and financially exhaust women seeking accountability.

Heard’s involvement marks her first on-screen appearance since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. But in the film, the actress makes clear she is not there to revisit her own highly publicized legal battles.

“This is not about me,” Heard says in a stark confessional interview. “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.”

Robinson previously represented Heard during a 2018 libel case brought by her former husband, Johnny Depp, against British newspaper The Sun. The publication had criticized Depp’s casting in Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts franchise while referencing domestic violence allegations made by Heard. Heard’s testimony became central to the paper’s successful legal defense.

In Silenced, Heard’s story is presented as part of a broader pattern rather than a singular case. The documentary follows several women whose pursuit of justice was derailed by massive defamation claims, including journalists, political staffers, and human rights advocates.

Among the film’s other subjects are Brittany Higgins, who accused a senior colleague of rape while working in Australia’s Parliament; Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, editor of the Latin American magazine Volcánica, who was sued by filmmaker Ciro Guerra after publishing misconduct allegations; and Sibongile Ndashe, a prominent human rights attorney.

Speaking at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance, Robinson warned that defamation suits have created a chilling effect in the post-#MeToo era.

“In the post-#MeToo world, we saw women break the cultural silence,” Robinson said. “What we then saw was alleged perpetrators responding with defamation claims — saying, ‘I’m going to sue you for a lot of money.’ It’s incredibly expensive to defend, and it bankrupts most women.”

The documentary also revisits the intense public hostility Heard faced during the London libel trial. Footage shows crowds of Depp supporters — some dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean — shouting insults and throwing trash as she entered and exited the courthouse.

Heard reflects on how speaking publicly often worsened the backlash rather than clarifying her position.

“I didn’t understand it could get so much worse for me as a woman, using my voice,” she says in the film.

Now largely focused on theater and raising her daughter, Heard ends her participation in Silenced on a cautiously hopeful note.

“It gives me strength seeing other people take on the fight,” she says. “Women brave enough to address the imbalance of power. Looking at my daughter as she grows up… I believe it can be better.”

Silenced is currently seeking distribution following its Sundance premiere.