Amber Heard: Staying in the Closet Would Have Been Admitting My Sexuality Was Wrong

Amber Heard never had any intention of hiding her sexuality.

In a new interview with IO Donna, Amber explained why it was so important to be open about her private life. She said,

“It was a period when my colleagues were increasingly demanding privacy and in the meantime 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 like that.”

She added,

“So I told myself to describe reality in a truthful way and to offer young people someone to look up to since those of my generation had grown up without any model of reference.”

Amber first came out in 2010 after she was photographed with then-girlfriend Tasya van Ree. She later reminisced about the incident, telling Allure in 2017,

“I happened to be dating a woman, and people started taking pictures of us walking to our car after dinner. 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.”

Most of her colleagues were completely against her coming out at the time. While numerous celebrities have since come out as bisexual, pansexual, and sexually fluid, Amber was one of the very first at a time when bisexuality was misunderstood.

Her peers even worried that the decision would ruin her career. She said,

“Studio execs, agents, advisors — [they] did not want this coming before my name. I became attached to a label. I’ve never seen myself defined by the person I’m with, as I saw myself being in this unique position and having a unique responsibility. So, I bit the bullet.”

Of course, Amber went on to have an extremely successful acting career, starring in Aquaman, The Danish Girl, and more.

We’re so lucky to have pioneers like Amber and I hope she’ll continue to set an example as an out and proud LGBTQ woman.