Amber Heard broke her silence with a rare post in honor of her 38th birthday.
In the picture, shared on Wednesday (April 23), a day after her birthday, the Aquaman star posed in a gold turtleneck with minimalist makeup as she sipped on champagne.
“Champagne kind of birthday,” the actress wrote alongside the photo.
Amber had last posted on social media three months ago, following the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The Texas-born star’s online silence began in 2019 after her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, sued her for defamation over an op-ed she penned for The Washington Post.
Amber Heard took to Instagram to share a photo in honor of her 38th birthday
Image credits: Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images
In the text—published in December 2018—Amber referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse,” though she didn’t include a mention of her ex’s name.
In May 2016, the mother-of-one filed for divorce from Johnny and filed a restraining order against him, claiming that the Cry Baby actor had subjected her to physical and verbal abuse throughout their relationship. Johnny Depp denied these allegations and agreed to a $7 million divorce settlement.
The op-ed sparked renewed drama between the exes, leading to a widely publicized six-week trial in 2022.
The jury ruled in favor of Johnny, awarding him over $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Additionally, it awarded Amber $2 million for a counterclaim that stemmed from a comment made by Johnny’s lawyer, which referred to Amber’s allegations as a “hoax.”
“Champagne kind of birthday,” the actress wrote alongside the photo
The 3 Days to Kill actress released a statement on the day of the verdict, writing, “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband.”
She also said that the ruling “sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”
Since the defamation trial ended, Amber has reportedly sold her home in the town of Yucca Valley, California, to move to Spain with her daughter, Oonagh Paige, whom she had via surrogacy in April 2021.
The 38-year-old mom first moved to the island of Mallorca before settling down in the capital city of Madrid.
Amber is now reportedly living in Spain, where she has settled down with her three-year-old daughter in search of a more private life
A source close to the actress told People that, after losing the trial, Amber “felt like a pariah.”
In Spain, she’s “able to just be a mom. She’s focused on raising her daughter. She spends every day with her girl. They stroll around, visit parks, and enjoy family time. Amber is a great mom,” the source added.
Her search for privacy in Europe has reportedly made her go by a different name while residing in Mallorca: Martha Jane Cannary, the real name of American frontierswoman and sharpshooter Calamity Jane.
The actress spent time away from social media following her defamation trial against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp
Despite her desire for a life away from the spotlight, Amber has expressed a wish to continue her career as an actress.
In June 2023, she starred in the independent thriller film In The Fire, which was filmed before the defamation trial.
In the movie, she plays Grace, an American psychiatrist who travels to a remote plantation in Colombia to help a boy believed to be possessed by the devil.
“Time for everyone to move on from that dreadful trial,” a social media user commented
