Amber Heard has returned to the Sundance Film Festival with a powerful message about high-profile defamation battles impact on women.

The actress made an unexpected appearance at the festival for the premiere of Silenced. The documentary examines how defamation lawsuits are increasingly used to deter women from speaking out about alleged abuse.

Directed by Selina Miles and produced alongside international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, Silenced screened Saturday, January 24, in Sundance’s World Cinema category.

The film centres on women whose attempts to seek justice were obstructed by aggressive, often nine-figure, legal actions.

Among them are journalists and public figures who faced legal pressure after making allegations against powerful men.

Robinson previously worked with Heard during Johnny Depp’s 2018 libel case against British tabloid The Sun, which published an article criticising Depp’s casting in Fantastic Beasts while referencing abuse claims made by Heard.

Heard played a key role in the newspaper’s defence during the proceedings.

In Silenced, Heard appears in an interview for the first time since her 2023 film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. However, she was clear that her participation was not about revisiting her personal ordeal.

“This is not about me,” Heard said in a confessional segment. “I have lost my ability to speak. I don’t want to tell my story anymore. That’s the problem.”