Amber Heard came out as bisexual to help others

10 January 2019

Amber Heard was inspired to come out as bisexual to empower herself and other people coming to terms with their sexuality.

Amber Heard

The 32-year-old actress felt it was her "responsibility" to tell the world about her sexuality at GLAAD's 25th anniversary event back in 2010 and to remove to "taboo" surrounding bisexuality so she could help young people with the same sexuality feel "less inadequate" and give them "someone they could relate to".

In an interview with IO Donna magazine, she said: "It was a period when my colleagues were increasingly demanding privacy and at the same time being bisexual was considered a taboo. But to be silent about something means to admit underneath that, that thing is wrong. But I knew it was not. So I told about myself, to describe reality in a truthful way and to offer young people, someone, they could relate too, since people in my generation had grown up without any person to reference. Who knows, thanks to me, maybe someone has felt less inadequate.

"It is a responsibility that I feel rooted in me. The great thing about this job is that it offers me an important platform, but I have a duty to give something back. To talk about justice, to make my roles have an impact ... it's the least I can do."

The 'Aquaman' star was in a relationship with female photographer Tasya van Ree back from 2008 until 2012 and then she went on to marry Johnny Depp, whom she is now divorced from.

Amber is a supporter of the #MeToo movement and she is proud of what changes it has helped bring in to the film industry so far but is adamant there is much more that needs to be done to achieve true equality for women in the business.

She said: "I am happy that the conversation has changed radically, today there is much more awareness. But women are at a crossroads.

"We are galvanized because we finally know what is ours, what is our place, but at the same time, we are exhausted by the attitudes that so far have held us back, diminished us or reduced us to objects. The film industry still has a lot to do to get back on track."