Hollywood actor Johnny Depp said that he “refuses” to “hold” onto “hate” following his bitter court battle with his former actress-wife Amber Heard.
It was in 2016, when Depp split from Heard and his career went into freefall when she later wrote an op-ed about being a victim of domestic abuse, which led to a lengthy court battle after he sued her for defamation.
Depp told The Telegraph newspaper: “This sounds like… but one can simply hold hate [until it] inspires some species of malice in your skull.
He added: “Makes you think of revenge. But hating someone is a great big responsibility to hang on to. The real truth of it, that I won’t allow, is that in order for me to hate, I have to care first. And I don’t care. What should I care about? That I got done wrong to (by others)? Plenty of people get done wrong.”
Asked why he took his grievances to court, Depp insisted he didn’t want “a lie” to be the “deciding factor of whether or not I have the capability of making movies in Hollywood,” reports femalefirst.co.uk.
The “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” star went on to say that he has learned a lot from the last few years and is determined to move on with his life.
“Going through all that in real time amounted to seven or eight years,” he said.
“It was a harsh, painful internal journey. Would I rather not have gone through something like that? Absolutely. But I learnt far more than I ever dreamed I could.”
Also Read: Johnny Depp demands sympathy, while silencing Amber Heard’s story of abuse
The 62-year-old star had earlier described the years he was sidelined from Hollywood because of his legal troubles as being left in the “wilderness” but he doesn’t hold any “ill feelings” towards anyone.
He told the Hollywood Reporter: “It was a vast wilderness and ultimately that vast wilderness taught me a whole lot.”
On the contrary, Amber Heard endured more than just a legal battle. She weathered a global storm of vitriol, mockery, and disbelief. She chose to speak her truth even when it came at a great personal and professional cost.
From the moment she shared her story of surviving abuse, Amber met not with empathy, but with suspicion and scorn.
Throughout the trial, Amber was subjected to invasive cross-examinations, her private messages and moments dragged into the public domain. Memes, TikToks, and edited clips mocked her tears, as if her pain was up for entertainment.
Few stopped to consider the immense courage it takes to speak up, knowing the world may not believe you. Yet she persisted, not to win sympathy, but to reclaim her agency.
Even after the verdict, Amber didn’t lash out. She didn’t try to rewrite the narrative in her favor through PR campaigns or public sympathy tours. Instead, she chose to leave the country, seeking peace and privacy for herself and her daughter.