The 2022 Depp vs. Heard trial brought consequences for the people involved that went far beyond the verdict.

Both Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s lives have changed drastically since then, with both of them parting ways with Hollywood for vastly different reasons.

Right now, the Pirates of the Caribbean star is facing new accusations of violence, despite winning the defamation trial against his ex-wife.

Amber Heard, for her part, seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth. She faced a lot of backlash after the verdict against her, and is now living a private life in Spain, but for her 38th birthday she made an appearance on her Instagram, looking very happy and hopeful in her new life.

After shying away from the public eye for a long time, Amber Heard returned to social media to celebrate her 38th birthday. She posted a picture of herself wearing a gold dress, sipping champagne in what seemed to be a winery. She captioned the photo “Champagne kind of birthday,” and looked genuinely happy.

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The last time she had made a post was on January 3rd, and it hadn’t been an update on her personal life but a promotional post for her movie Aquaman 2, which had come out just days before. She posted some pictures of herself with red hair, in character as Mera, and one even included her daughter.

“After all this time, Aquaman 2 made its splash (sorry, it’s too easy),” she wrote on the post. “Thank you to all of my fans for the overwhelming support and love in Mera’s AQ return. Thank you.”

That was Amber Heard’s last project in Hollywood before leaving the country and settling down in Spain, following the hostility she faced after the verdict against her in the controversial trial against Johnny Depp. Judging from her recent birthday post, the actress is happy, healthy, and living her best life in Europe.

Amber Heard Needed To Get Out Of The US After The Trial

Amber Heard made the decision to leave the country as the media attention became unbearable. In December 2022, after the infamous trial, she tied up the legal loose ends, choosing to settle instead of continuing the legal fight.

“After a great deal of deliberation I have made a very difficult decision to settle the defamation case brought against me by my ex-husband in Virginia,” she said, adding that she had “made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”

“I make this decision having lost faith in the American legal system,” she went on. This might have influenced her decision to move to Europe, as she added, “When I stood before a judge in the UK, I was vindicated by a robust, impartial and fair system.”

Spain was an easy choice of destination for her, as she speaks Spanish fluently and isn’t as well-known there as she is in the US, therefore she’s less exposed.

“I can reveal that Heard left Hollywood and quietly moved to Spain with her young daughter, Oonagh. She is bilingual in Spanish and is happy there, raising her daughter away from all the noise,” a source said last year, clarifying that people shouldn’t expect her to come back any time soon.

“I don’t think she’s in a hurry to go back to work or Hollywood, but she’ll be back when the time is right, for the right project.”