Less than a month after she released a PSA film against domestic abuse, Amber Heard is back in the spotlight discussing her personal experience via an open letter in Porter magazine. The actress, who recently finalized her tumultuous divorce with Johnny Depp, has a message for all her “silent sisters”—you are not alone.
“Let’s start with the truth—the cold, hard truth,” she writes. “When a woman comes forward to speak out about injustice or her suffering, instead of aid, respect and support, she will be met with hostility, skepticism and shame. Her motives will be questioned and her truth ignored.”
While Amber never directly mentions her ex-husband in the piece, her emotional essay seems inextricably linked to the skepticism she has faced from certain members of the media, including a smear campaign launched by Johnny’s friends to discredit her claims of physical abuse. Some theories even went so far as saying she invented the story to extort money in the divorce. (Amber announced in August that the $7 million she received in the settlement would go to the American Civil Liberties Union and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles charities.)
Amber has also been vocal against the shame put on victims, though she disagrees with the term itself because she considers herself an independent and self-reliant woman. “I never felt like anyone would or could rescue me, so naturally I resented the label of ‘victim,’” she concludes. “As I write this today, I can promise every woman who is suffering in silence, you are not alone. You may not see us, but we are there.”
Thank you for your courage, Amber.
