Amber Heard Spotted Smiling in Spain After Paying $1M Settlement to Johnny Depp
The actress will be at the Taormina Film Festival on June 24 for the premiere of her movie "In the Fire"
Amber Heard was seen embracing life in Spain, putting an end to her legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp. Following the news of the $1 million settlement she paid to Depp, the 37-year-old actress was spotted with a smile on her face during an outing in Madrid on Wednesday.
Having relocated to Spain, Heard now resides there with her 2-year-old daughter, Oonagh Paige. In a significant upcoming event, she is scheduled to make her first major public appearance since the trial at Italy's 69th Taormina Film Festival. The festival will witness the world premiere of her movie, "In the Fire," on June 24.
Earlier in April, a source close to Heard revealed to PEOPLE that she eagerly anticipated leaving the United States with her daughter after the Virginia defamation trial with Depp last summer. The source emphasized that Spain offered her a greater sense of privacy, allowing her to start afresh in a new environment.
"The trial was beyond stressful for her, and she just wanted to start fresh out of the country," the source explained. "She is excited about working and filming again. She was exhausted and disappointed about the trial. She felt she was mistreated."
However, the source emphasized that those difficult times are now behind her, stating, "This is all behind her now, though. She has new energy and is focused on things that she loves."
When announcing the settlement and the decision to call off any further appeals in December, Heard issued a statement in which she described it as an arduous choice, emphasizing that it was not an act of concession.
"It's important for me to say that I never chose this," wrote Heard. "I defended my truth, in doing so, my life as I knew it was destroyed. The vilification I have faced on social media is an amplified version of the ways women are re-victimized when they come forward."
She continued, "Now I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to. I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward."
During the live-televised trial, Heard spoke of being exposed to a type of humiliation she cannot bear to relive and expressed her unwillingness to go through such an experience a third time.
She added, "I cannot afford to risk an impossible bill — one that is not just financial, but also psychological, physical, and emotional. Women shouldn't have to face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking her truth, but unfortunately, it is not uncommon."
Heard concluded, "I will not be threatened, disheartened, or dissuaded by what happened from speaking the truth. No one can and no one will take that from me. My voice forever remains the most valuable asset I have."
Depp, on the other hand, recently attended the Cannes Film Festival where his French film, "Jeanne du Barry," opened the prestigious event. During a press conference, the actor was asked about his return to movies after the trial and whether he felt boycotted by Hollywood.
"Do I feel boycotted now? No, not at all. But I don't feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don't think about it. I don't think about Hollywood. I don't have much further need for Hollywood myself," Depp responded to reporters.
He added, "I keep wondering about the word comeback because I didn't go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away. So yeah, maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time. But no, I didn't go nowhere. I've been sitting around."
Reference: People.com
Photos Courtesy: People.com