In a new campaign video by the the organisation GirlGaze, Amber Heard alludes to her experience of domestic abuse when married to Johnny Depp. In the video she speaks emotionally about being a victim of physical and verbal abuse, and urges other women who have suffered at the hands of someone close to them that they are not alone.
The actress filed for divorce from Johnny Depp in May this year, just 15 months after they got married, claiming that Depp had abused her throughout their marriage. Since then she donated her $7 million divorce settlement to a domestic violence charity.
She decided to work with GirlGaze to raise awareness of domestic violence and spoke frankly in a public service announcement. At the beginning of the video, Amber Heard, 30, appears emotional but furious. ‘How is this happening to me? I’m strong. I'm smart. I’m not a victim. I guess there was a lot of shame attached to that label of ‘victim’.’
‘It happens to so many women you know. When it happens in your home behind closed doors with someone you love, it’s not as straightforward. If a stranger did this, it would be a no brainer.
‘As a woman having gone through this on the public stage, in the public arena that I did it in, I have a unique opportunity to remind other women that this doesn't have to be the way it is. You don't have to do it alone. You're not alone, and also we can change this. Violence against women is not limited to actual physical violence.’
She then got teary and insisted that women ‘speak up’ and stand in solidarity to fight being silenced.
The public service announcement was posted by GirlGaze yesterday to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Towards Women. Yet, perhaps due to confidentiality and legal agreements, her powerful video has since been deleted off all of the organisation’s social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. This is contradictory to Amber’s vital message, so we are hoping the video’s absence is only temporary.
READ MORE: Amber Heard Will Donate Her Million Divorce Settlement To Charity