Amber Heard opened up about her identity in an interview, revealing how she identifies after being asked a direct question.
Amber Heard recently opened up about her identity in an interview where she was asked how she identifies.
The actress, known for her roles in various films and her previous marriage to Johnny Depp, shared her thoughts during The Economist’s Pride & Prejudice event in New York.
Amber Heard discusses coming out and its impact
In her remarks, Amber reflected on the challenges of coming out in Hollywood.
She acknowledged that being open about her identity could carry professional risks.
However, she emphasized that staying true to herself was more important than any potential fallout in her career.
Amber stated, “When I hear someone comment about me coming out, I think it’s funny, because I was never in.
I saw myself being in this unique position, and I saw that as a responsibility to take charge of this conversation in a way that is meaningful.”
She explained that she felt a responsibility to address conversations about identity in a meaningful way.
Amber believes that if people deny or hide who they are, it suggests that they think their identity is wrong.
She firmly stated, “I don’t feel like it’s wrong.”
Amber Heard reveals her gender identity after being asked how she identifies
Amber also discussed her choice to use her platform to promote authenticity.
She explained her view on labels, saying that they can be limiting.
In a past interview with Allure in 2017, she recalled her experience of holding hands with a woman in public.
“I [was] holding her hand, and I realized that I have two options: I can let go of her hand and, when asked about it, I can say that my private life is my private life. Or I could not let go and own it.”
Amber chose the latter, despite warnings from others about the potential impact on her career.
She recalled how people cautioned her against being open about her relationships, warning that it could jeopardize her acting opportunities.
She told the outlet: “Everyone told me: ‘You cannot do this.’ I had played opposite Nicolas Cage [in one movie], and in another I was playing opposite Johnny.
And everyone said, ‘You’re throwing it all away. You can’t do this to your career.’
Amber responded to these concerns with determination, saying, “I cannot do this any other way. Watch me.”
The limitations of labels
In her discussion, Amber expressed her belief that labels can restrict understanding of human nature.
She said: “I don’t identify as anything.”
“They pointed to no other working romantic lead, no other actress, that was out. I didn’t come out. I was never in. It’s limiting, that LGBTQ thing.
It served a function as an umbrella for marginalized people to whom rights were being denied, but it loses its efficacy because of the nuanced nature of humanity.
“As we become more educated and expand the facts of our nature, we keep adding letters. It was a great shield, but now we’re stuck behind it.
It’s so important to resist labels. I don’t care how many letters you add. At some point, it’s going to spell ‘WE ARE HUMAN.’ ”