MOVING ON from DRAMA

SHE'S BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT A YEAR ON FROM HER TOXIC TRIAL WITH JOHNNY DEPP

- Jennie Noonan

After attending the premiere of her new film In the Fire on June 24 at the 69th annual Taormina Film Festival in Italy, Amber Heard broke her six-month social media silence. "Thank you for such an incredibly warm reception," she captioned a photo from the prestigious event. "It was an unforgettable weekend." She also shared a snap of her car surrounded by onlookers. "What a reception," she wrote. "Thank you to my fans and supporters. I am so touched."

Heard's last social media post was a long statement in December 2022, revealing she had made the "very difficult decision" to pay her ex-husband $1.5 million in a settlement following their drawn-out defamation trial that ended in June 2022 during which a disturbing picture emerged of their violent marriage.

"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," said Heard, who was sued by Depp for defamation over a 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post where she identified herself as representing domestic abuse. "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."