When speaking to Savannah Guthrie, the 'Aquaman' actress insists that her legal battle with her ex-husband was more than just two exes airing their dirty laundry.

• Jun 15, 2022

AceShowbiz - Amber Heard can understand why people might see her and Johnny Depp as "Hollywood brats" following their defamation trial. The "Aquaman" star's acknowledgement came after she was found by a jury in Fairfax, Virginia, to have defamed her ex-husband in an article in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse, and he was awarded $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

While insisting this was more than just two exes airing their dirty laundry, the 36-year-old actress told TV presenter Savannah Guthrie she will stand by every word of her testimony until her "dying day" in a new clip from her first TV interview since the trial.

"Absolutely. I would not blame the average person for looking at this and how this has been covered and thinking that this is Hollywood brats at their worst," she said. "But what people don't understand is that it is actually so much bigger than that. This is not only about our First Amendment right to speak."

Guthrie stopped her and said, "But here's the thing - the First Amendment protects free speech. It doesn't protect lies that amount to defamation, and that was the issue in the case."

In a previous preview, Heard said she was astounded by the "vitriol" aimed at her on social media, and she went on to claim she saw Depp fans lining the streets outside the courtroom holding holding signs with death threats on them.

She said, "Every single day I passed three, four, sometimes six city blocks lined with people holding signs saying 'Burn the witch' and 'Death to Amber'. After three-and-a-half weeks I took the stand and saw a courtroom packed full of Captain Jack Sparrow fans who were vocal, energized."

Heard went on to say she has never felt more humiliated than she did in the courtroom. She said, "I have never felt more removed from my own humanity. I felt less than human."

However, Heard stands by every bit of evidence and word she said on the stand and accused Depp of lying about not hitting her. When the journalist asked if it was a lie, Heard replied, "Yes, it is."

The interview aired on America's NBC News on Tuesday, June 14 and on the "Today" show on Wednesday, June 15. An hour-long special will be broadcast on Friday, June 17 on "Dateline".

Depp sued Heard for $50 million for defamation following the publication of a 2018 piece in The Washington Post in which she alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse but had not named him specifically. The jury found the actress had acted with "malice" and awarded Depp $15 million in damages. Heard had countersued her ex for $100 million and the jury awarded her $2 million in punitive damages.