It's almost impossible to talk about Amber Heard without mentioning Johnny Depp. The trial had the entire world deciding whether Amber Heard was a dangerous, manipulative narcissist or an innocent victim. Today, we'll learn about Amber's early life and career, and along the way, we'll uncover some of the many shocking stories from her life. We'll hear from witnesses, and even divulge the tragic events that made her this way.
Early Life
Amber Laura Heard was born on April 22nd, 1986, in Austin, Texas. Her parents were Patricia Paige and David Clinton Heard, and she was raised in a conservative Catholic family with modest finances.
A bit of a tomboy, Amber grew up riding horses, hunting, and fishing with her father. Conversely, she also used her young feminine wiles to take part in beauty pageants. Although, as an adult, she said she can no longer "support the objectification" of beauty contests.
Tragedy
Amber was raised Catholic but became an atheist after tragedy struck. When she was 16 years old, she lost her best friend in a car wreck. The teenager fell into despair and decided she no longer believed in God. Was this the life event that changed Amber forever?
Soon after, a friend introduced Amber to the works of Ayn Rand––whose oeuvre of atheistic-objectivist work prescribes extreme self-sufficiency––and she was hooked. She says of Rand: "I've read all of her books. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with her ideals. All I've ever needed is myself."
High School Dropout
No longer feeling comfortable in "conservative, God-fearin' Texas," Amber dropped out of her Catholic high school and gained her GED via a home study course. The teenager told her parents she was catching a plane that same day. She admits it was "kind of brash," but––armed with her home diploma, some headshots, $60 in her pocket, and a .38 gun her dad gave her––she left home to pursue a career in modeling and acting.
Before arriving in Hollywood, 17-year-old Heard made a pitstop in New York City to pursue a career as a model. However, she found living and finding work in the Big Apple difficult since she was only a minor. She is said to have forged her parents' signature on some documents to gain work. It wouldn't be the only time she forged legal documents.
Early Roles
In 2004, Amber appeared in two music videos; country artist Kenny Chesney's "There Goes My Life" and rock band Eisley's "I Wasn't Prepared." Next up, she landed bit-part roles in several television shows, including Jack & Bobby (2004), The Mountain (2004), and The O.C. (2005).
Her film debut came in the film Friday Night Lights (2004). She followed this up with supporting roles in Drop Dead Sexy, North Country, Side F.X. (all 2005), Price to Pay, alongside Justin Timberlake in Alpha Dog (both 2006) and Spin (2007). After appearing in an episode of the police procedural, Criminal Minds, Amber's first leading film role came in the slasher All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006). The horror movie sees her play the eponymous Mandy Lane, a beautiful, innocent teenager who bullies and murders many victims.
Breakthrough Role
In 2007, Amber lost 25 pounds to play the main love interest in Hidden Palms. However, the teen drama was critically panned and canceled after just eight episodes. After appearing in the sitcom Californication, she appeared in the short film Day 73 with Sarah and the indie film Remember the Daze (both 2007).
Her first major role came in stoner comedy-drama Pineapple Express (2008) alongside Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Danny McBride. The green behind the gills actress cited her biggest acting challenge was keeping a straight face when working with Seth Rogen. Nevertheless, she gained something near mainstream recognition and went on to appear in the martial arts drama Never Back Down (2008).
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Amber played in the ensemble cast of Bret Easton Ellis's novel The Informers (2008), but the film flopped at the box office. The next year, she appeared in Zombieland (2009) and starred in The Joneses (2009) opposite David Duchovny and Demi Moore. For her efforts, Variety magazine wrote that she stole the show from Demi Moore.
Tasya van Ree
While she'd been slowly becoming famous, Amber had been dating photographer Tasya van Ree. The actress even legally changed her last name to van Ree during the relationship, only reverting back to her birth name in 2014. But while they looked great together, the relationship wasn't without its troubles.
In 2009, Amber was arrested after allegedly grabbing Tasyn van Ree and hitting her arm at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The actress was detained for misdemeanor domestic violence. However, Tasya van Ree has since claimed that the 'wrongful' charges were misinterpreted, over-sensationalized, and motivated by homophobia. The charges were dismissed. Amber and Tasyn broke up in 2012 but remained friends.
Coming Out
In 2010, friends and colleagues warned Amber that she'd be "throwing away her career" if she announced that she was bisexual just as she was about to star opposite Nick Cage and Johnny Depp. But she says that she has no regrets. In her own words: "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."
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