Amber Heard has made her first social media appearance since the conclusion of her defamation trial with Johnny Depp, posting on Instagram about her experience at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily. The 37-year-old actress shared a photo of herself on stage, expressing gratitude for the warm reception at the event where she promoted her latest film, In the Fire.
Heard's last Instagram post was in December 2022, when she announced a settlement with Depp. In her new post, she wrote: 'Thank you for such an incredibly warm reception at the Taormina Film festival for my latest movie In the Fire. It was an unforgettable weekend.' She added: 'What a reception… Thank you to all of my fans and supporters. I am so touched.'
Speaking to Deadline, Heard emphasised that her appearance was purely to support the film, stating: 'A big thing I had to learn,(was) that I’m not in control of stories other people create around me… I’m here to support a movie. And that’s not something I can be sued for.' She also said: 'What I have been through, what I’ve lived through, doesn’t make my career at all. And it’s certainly not gonna stop my career.'
Director Conor Allyn praised Heard's resilience, telling Deadline: 'She’s still the shining light ... and to go through something that terrible and be able to come out the other side and be whole, well, I can’t imagine it.' He added to People magazine that he sees an 'incredibly bright future ahead' for her, and that the film 'will be a great opportunity for her to have something beyond the trial and stuff to talk about and to be a platform for a hell of a comeback.'
Co-star Luca Calvani also commended Heard, saying: 'Anyone that suffers that sort of ordeal and is able to overcome it with grace… you have to give credit for the incredible journey this woman has been through, and she can teach us all a couple of things as far as resilience and courage.'
