Amber Heard went from the peak of her career to persona non grata in Hollywood after losing a defamation lawsuit against her ex-husband Johnny Depp. But is that really the only reason why the "Aquaman" star isn't cast in many movies anymore?
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00:00Amber Heard went from the peak of her career to persona non grata in Hollywood after losing
00:05a defamation lawsuit against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.
00:09But is that really the only reason why the Aquaman star isn't cast in many movies anymore?
00:15Amber Heard broke into the mainstream via minor appearances and supporting roles in
00:18various TV projects.
00:20She landed roles on the short-lived series Jack and Bobby and The O.C., as well as a
00:25music video for Kenny Chesney.
00:27After this, she found work in feature films, with her first being a minor role in Friday
00:31Night Lights.
00:32Heard split her time on television and in films early in her career, which helped bring
00:36positive attention her way.
00:38The 2000s were a great time professionally for Heard, as she landed roles in Hidden Palms
00:43and Criminal Minds.
00:44In 2006, Heard debuted in her first leading role in a film, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane,
00:50though it wasn't released commercially for several years.
00:53Regardless, she had positive buzz surrounding her name in Hollywood, and the roles kept
00:56on coming.
00:57In 2008, Heard found mainstream success appearing in Pineapple Express and Never Back Down.
01:03The following year, she played a small but important role in Zombieland.
01:07While that particular film did well, several independent projects she appeared in did not,
01:11including her first major commercial film, Drive Angry, in which she starred opposite
01:15Nicolas Cage.
01:16Many of Heard's early films didn't perform well critically or financially, but she was
01:21often praised for her work in otherwise lackluster productions.
01:25As a result, she continued landing gigs during the first two decades of her professional
01:28career.
01:30While Heard landed numerous prominent roles throughout her career, her biggest didn't
01:34arrive until 2017.
01:36That's when she first played Mira in the DC Extended Universe film Justice League.
01:40The role was pretty significant, as was the film, which bombed rather horrifically.
01:46That had little to nothing to do with Heard's performance, and the plans for the DCEU indicated
01:51she'd have an opportunity to reprise the role.
01:54She did so the following year with Aquaman.
01:56"...Atlantis has always had a king, now I need something more."
02:02Where Justice League failed, Aquaman did far better, earning various accolades and significant
02:06returns at the global box office.
02:09All indications were that Mira would return in the sequel, which took several years to
02:12make thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
02:15Regardless, it was made and released in 2023, to critical disdain.
02:20One main issue plaguing Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was the off-screen relationship between
02:25its lead, Jason Momoa, and Heard.
02:28Rumors of bad blood between the stars leaked, and fans launched a petition to have Heard
02:32removed.
02:33When the film came out, Heard's scenes were significantly cut.
02:36She received one script after the next, each one with fewer and fewer scenes involving
02:40her character.
02:41A major fight sequence was removed as well.
02:44The film performed poorly financially, and the rumors of on-set drama clearly didn't
02:48help.
02:50The two first met Johnny Depp on the set of The Rum Diary, but both were in relationships
02:54with other people at the time.
02:55It would be a few years before they began dating, and in February 2015, the couple married.
03:00Initially, they had a private ceremony before holding a larger one on Depp's private island
03:05in the Bahamas.
03:06From the start, it seemed they were the Hollywood couple to emulate, but problems arose indicating
03:10otherwise before long.
03:12In July 2015, Depp and Heard sparked controversy in Australia when they brought their two Yorkshire
03:17Terriers into the country illegally.
03:20This resulted in criminal charges against Heard, who'd failed to include the dogs in
03:23her customs declaration.
03:25She pleaded guilty the following year to avoid a possible prison sentence, and the couple
03:28issued an apology via a recorded video.
03:31I am truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared.
03:35Protecting Australia is important."
03:37It was a hiccup, but it indicated there were issues going on beneath the surface.
03:42Neither actor came out of the incident looking good.
03:44Regardless, they continued to show affection for one another on red carpets and elsewhere.
03:49Throughout the rest of 2015, it looked like Heard and Depp were going strong, but it all
03:53came tumbling down rather quickly.
03:56By January 2016, it was beginning to look like they might be experiencing problems in
04:00their relationship, which was confirmed in May when Heard filed for divorce.
04:05The following day, Heard filed a restraining order against Depp, establishing what would
04:09become one of Hollywood's messiest divorces.
04:13Divorce is a difficult process for most couples, and there have been plenty of messy splits
04:16in Hollywood.
04:18That said, calling Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's divorce messy is actually something
04:21of an understatement.
04:23When Heard filed for divorce and a restraining order, she alleged physical and mental abuse,
04:28which Depp and his attorneys loudly denied.
04:30The divorce was ultimately settled in January 2017, resulting in Heard dropping the restraining
04:35order.
04:36She took a cash settlement to end the proceedings, which she pledged to donate to charity.
04:40For the most part, the divorce itself wasn't terribly messy, but it didn't end with the
04:44settlement.
04:45Instead, the issues in Heard and Depp's relationship continued to dominate headlines, when Heard
04:50penned an op-ed for The Washington Post calling out Depp for alleged domestic violence.
04:55Technically, Heard didn't name the individual she alleged had abused her, but anyone who
04:59read it immediately understood that Depp was the target.
05:02This didn't sit well with the actor, as the allegations cost him considerable work.
05:07Disney dropped him from future plans with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and
05:10he was also removed and replaced in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
05:14This cost Depp a great deal financially, but it also marred his reputation.
05:19The blowback was swift, as Depp filed a defamation suit against Heard for her op-ed.
05:24The legal drama that unfolded in the public between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began
05:28with their divorce, and it continued for years.
05:31Depp fought and lost a libel suit against The Sun for calling him a wife-beater.
05:35That article got him fired from Fantastic Beasts, but he lost the case and an appeal.
05:40After this, Depp took aim directly at his ex-wife for writing her op-ed.
05:44He filed a defamation suit against Heard, alleging that it was actually she who was
05:48committing acts of abuse in their relationship.
05:51Not long after, Heard filed a counterclaim against Depp, alleging that his accusations
05:55and online petitions got her fired from Aquaman and L'Oreal.
05:59This gave both parties a financial stake in the proceedings, and their trial played out
06:03between April 11th and June 1st, 2022, in Fairfax County, Virginia.
06:09The trial was broadcast in full, so the world got to watch as the former lovers aired all
06:13sorts of dirty laundry on each other.
06:16As the trial progressed, it became all the more disturbing as each party laid out their
06:20claims and evidence against the other.
06:22During the trial, fans of Depp launched the Justice for Johnny hashtag in his support,
06:27and the public turned on Heard.
06:29Ultimately, the trial found that Heard's statements in the op-ed were false and awarded Depp $15
06:34million.
06:35At the same time, the jury also found in favor of Heard in one area, awarding her $2 million.
06:42While she was dealing with the dissolution of her marriage and the public scrutiny that
06:45came with her allegations in print, Amber Heard continued to work.
06:49She appeared in numerous films during this tumultuous time in her life, including Justice
06:53League, Aquaman, and more.
06:55Heard also worked on the small screen, playing Nadine Cross in the 2020 The Stand miniseries.
07:01The nine-episode miniseries is the second adaptation of Stephen King's 1978 post-apocalyptic
07:06novel and a remake of the 1994 adaptation.
07:10The series didn't achieve as much success as its 90s predecessor, receiving mixed reviews
07:15from critics.
07:16Development began years earlier, with initial plans settling around a feature film adaptation
07:21before it was ultimately decided to make another miniseries.
07:25We can't f— this up.
07:28Do you understand?"
07:30Unfortunately, by the time it found its way to people's TV screens, the COVID-19 pandemic
07:34was raging across the globe.
07:36That likely didn't help draw viewers due to the subject matter, as well as streaming fatigue
07:40and competition from other shows.
07:42The pandemic was only one part of why The Stand didn't work.
07:46The other was that it simply wasn't very good.
07:48Rotten Tomatoes has the show at a 57 percent critical rating, which is actually more than
07:53double the audience score, which sits at 25 percent.
07:56Heard's acting isn't necessarily bad, but the character she plays in the series is very
08:00different from the one presented in the book.
08:02This likely turned some fans away, as it was a relatively significant change.
08:06Others felt that Heard was miscast in the role entirely.
08:10The defamation trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp captivated the nation's attention
08:14throughout the proceedings.
08:16The whole thing was salacious and interesting to watch from afar, with millions of people
08:20engaged in online discussions while watching the trial unfold.
08:24While it wasn't the trial of the century, it was certainly fascinating to watch two
08:27incredibly famous people go after one another in such horrific detail.
08:32Because it was such a draw, it wasn't shocking to learn that Netflix greenlit a documentary
08:36series based on the trial, using video directly lifted from the legal proceedings.
08:41The documentary also delves into the social impact of the trial on popular culture.
08:45But despite its intriguing content, Depp vs. Heard wasn't well-received.
08:50Critics didn't care for the documentary series, which failed to feature a host of talking-head
08:54experts or anything you'd expect to find in a true-crime-style doc.
08:58Critics gave the series a 25 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to an 11 percent viewer
09:02score.
09:03Ultimately, the trial itself offered everything the public needed to see, making Depp vs.
09:08Heard nothing more than unnecessary fluff that oversaturated the public with the couple's
09:13drama.
09:14The trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp didn't do Heard's career any favors.
09:18While Depp's career appears to be on the mend following his victory, Heard's loss has made
09:23her a social pariah.
09:24While she appeared in limited fashion in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023, Heard's work
09:29dried up significantly, leading up to, during, and after the defamation trial.
09:34Her work opportunities were limited inside the United States, so she found work across
09:38the pond in Italy.
09:39Heard ended up landing the leading role of Grace Burnham in the Italian film In the Fire,
09:44which follows a doctor who treats a young boy with inexplicable abilities while living
09:48on a remote plantation.
09:50It premiered at the Tower Mina Film Festival in Italy in June 2023, and it received a limited
09:55release in the U.S. in October of the same year.
09:59It was poorly received by most.
10:01Critics weren't kind to In the Fire, which holds a 15 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
10:05Brian Lowry of CNN wrote,
10:07It's a pretty awful starring vehicle for the actor that she also produced, a film unlikely
10:12to produce many sparks beyond those set off by the morbidly curious.
10:17The trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp did not end in Heard's favor, and everything
10:21that came to light resulted in significant backlash.
10:24Heard was aware of her standing with the public, so she packed her bags and moved to Spain.
10:29She speaks Spanish fluently, so she had no problem picking up and relocating to Madrid
10:33with her daughter.
10:34Spanish media asked her about her move to Madrid and how she felt about things.
10:38She told the reporters that she loved Spain, and when she was asked if she planned to remain
10:42in the country, her reply seemed pretty positive.
10:45A source had previously told People magazine that Heard was looking forward to moving across
10:56the Atlantic.
10:57It appears that she may have retired from Hollywood acting, at least for the time being.
11:01But that said, she did film In the Fire after moving, so she may try to make a go of it
11:06in the European film market.
11:08Heard denied reports she was hanging it all up, and according to The Economic Times, she
11:12had some work lined up back in 2023.
11:14That said, there's nothing noted on her IMDb page, and all indications make it look like
11:19she doesn't have much planned for the near future.