Amber Heard explains why marrying Johnny Depp doesn’t define her sexuality
Danish Girl actress Amber Heard has explained why she won’t stay quiet about her sexuality – because education is the key to tackling bigotry.
The actress came out in 2010 while dating photographer Tasya van Ree – but later married her Rum Diary co-star Johnny Depp, and adopting his two children.
Heard spoke to the Independent about her role in the Danish Girl – a drama featuring Eddie Redmayne as pioneering 1920s trans woman Lili Elbe. Amber Heard plays a close friend of Redmayne’s character, who is aware of Lili’s transition early on.
She opened up to the newspaper about her own experiences of prejudice – based on sexuality rather than gender identity.
Heard said: “The one way we will achieve change in a positive direction towards accepting people for who they are and looking beyond superficial means to judge people instead of falling prey to our prejudices and our tribal instincts towards fear.
“The only way we’re going to get over that is by being familiarised with it, by being exposed to it.
“I’ve said this before but education is the antidote to prejudice.”
The actress explained previously: “I don’t want to have to deny my sexuality in order to be, but I don’t want to have to be defined by it. ”
Of the reception to her latest film, Heard told the newspaper that there was remarkably little abuse given the film’s subject matter.
She said: “I’ve had nothing but positive reactions [online].
“It’s getting harder and harder to hate and get away with it. You always want to be on the right side of history.”
