Overview
- Silenced premiered Jan. 24 at the Sundance Film Festival, directed by Selina Miles with on-screen participation from human-rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson.
- In the documentary, Heard says she has "lost [her] ability to speak" and describes a Catch-22 during Depp’s U.K. libel case against The Sun, where she felt both the trial and her future hinged on her participation.
- Robinson warns of a chilling effect from costly defamation suits, as the film also follows Brittany Higgins, Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Sibongile Ndashe.
- The Virginia jury in 2022 found Heard liable on multiple counts and awarded Depp more than $10 million, while Heard won $2 million on a counterclaim; they settled that December with a $1 million payment from Heard.
- Since the trial, Heard has moved to Spain, expanded her family and cautiously resumed creative work, and the documentary is seeking distribution.