Amber Heard sat down for her first interview since the jury reached a verdict in her defamation trial against Johnny Depp, and she responded to many of the accusations that were leveled at her in court and on social media.
“It’s surreal and difficult,” the Aquaman actress, 36, explained during a Tuesday, June 14, appearance on the Today show, responding to Savannah Guthrie‘s question about whether the verdict had sunk in yet. “In part, yes. This has been a long time coming.”
Though the jury ruled that Heard had defamed her ex-husband, 59, the Texas native told Guthrie, 50, that she will “stand by every word of” her testimony until her “dying day.”
Depp sued the Magic Mike XXL star for defamation in regard to a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post, in which she described herself as a survivor of domestic abuse. Heard didn’t mention the Oscar nominee by name, but he claimed that the essay damaged his reputation and career prospects. (The outlet has since added an editor’s note to the article about the trial results.)
On June 1, a Virginia jury ruled in favor of Depp after several weeks of testimony, awarding him $10.35 million in damages. Heard was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages in her counterclaim against the Finding Neverland star.
Despite her loss in court, the Justice League actress repeated her claim that Depp was abusive to her during their marriage. “He says he never hit you. Is that a lie?” Guthrie asked on Tuesday. Heard replied, “Yes, it is.”
The Stand alum also addressed comments by Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez, who called Heard’s testimony “the performance of her life” in April.
“Says the lawyer for the man who convinced the world he had scissors for fingers?” the Her Smell star quipped, referring to Depp’s role in the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. “I’m the performer? I had listened to weeks of testimony insinuating that — or saying quite directly — that I’m a terrible actress. So, I’m a bit confused how I could be both.”
Heard went on say she “absolutely” understands why observers at home might not feel any sympathy for her or Depp following the trial. “I would not blame the average person for looking at this and how it’s been covered and not think that it is Hollywood brats at their worst,” she said. “But what people don’t understand is it’s actually so much bigger than that.”
After the trial ended earlier this month, Heard told Us Weekly in a statement that she felt disappointment “beyond words” following the verdict.
“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 continued. “I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated.”
NBC will air more of Guthrie’s exclusive interview with Heard on Today Wednesday, June 15, and on Dateline Friday, June 17, at 8 p.m. ET.
Keep scrolling for more revelations from the first part of Heard’s Today show interview.