Amber Heard is set to give her first televised interview since losing her multi-million dollar defamation battle against her ex-husband Johnny Depp this Friday. The sit-down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, airing at 8pm EST on 17 June, comes over two weeks after Depp emerged victorious in his $50m defamation case against Heard after three days of deliberations by a jury, which also handed her a partial win in her countersuit. In a preview clip released Monday, Heard revealed that she doesn’t blame the jury for siding against her. “I don’t blame them. I actually understand. He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor,” she said. Depp sued Heard for $50m for implying he abused her in the op-ed, titled: “I spoke up against sexual violence –and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” While she didn’t name him, Depp claimed her allegations took a massive toll on his career. Heard pursued a $100m counterclaim, accusing Depp of conducting a “smear campaign” against her. Show latest update 1655208100

Heard says she spoke ‘truth to power’ and paid price

Ms Guthrie asks about Ms Heard’s claim that the case was about the First Amendment right to free speech. “The First Amendment… doesn’t protect lies that amount to defamation,” says the Today anchor. Ms Heard responds that it is “a freedom to speak truth to power”. “But ‘truth’ is the word… And that was the issue,” says Ms Guthrie. Ms Heard responds: “And that’s all I spoke. I spoke it to power, and I paid the price.” Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 13:01 1655208000

Why Heard is speaking out now

A spokesperson for Heard offered responded to the news of her first TV interview in a statement to The Independent: “Johnny Depp’s legal team blanketed the media for days after the verdict with numerous statements and interviews on television, and Depp himself did the same on social media. “Ms. Heard simply intended to respond to what they aggressively did last week; she did so by expressing her thoughts and feelings, much of which she was not allowed to do on the witness stand.” Megan Sheets14 June 2022 13:00 1655207637

Heard admits she and Depp might look like ‘Hollywood brats’

Amber Heard has admitted that she understood how the public may view her and ex-husband Johnny Depp as “Hollywood brats”, in an interview with NBC Today Show. Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 12:53 1655207429

Heard says she wishes she could say she felt confident before verdict

Asked if she felt confident on the day of the verdict, Ms Heard says: “I wish I could say yes to that. I want to say yes to you, but it wouldn’t be true.” She adds: “Even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t tell me, look me in the eye and tell me that on social media there’s been a fair representation.” Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 12:50 1655207222

Heard felt ‘less than human’ during trial

On her personal experience during the seven weeks of the trial, she told Ms Guthrie on Today: “This was the most humiliating and horrible thing I’ve ever been through. I have never felt more removed from my own humanity.” Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 12:47 1655206821

Heard: Even the most well-intentioned juror would’ve found it impossible to avoid social media

Ms Heard says she thinks “the vast majority of this trial was played out on social media.” Asked by Ms Guthrie is she thought the jury saw the social media, she replies: “How could they not? I think even the most well-intentioned juror, it would have been impossible to avoid this.” Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 12:40 1655206655

“I would not blame the average person for looking at this and how it’s covered and seeing it as Hollywood brats at their worst,” says Ms Heard, adding that she thought it was about much bigger issues around free speech. Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 12:37 1655206417

Amber Heard Today show interview continues

NBC’s Today show has aired further clips of the exclusive interview between Savannah Guthrie and Amber Heard. Ms Heard was asked how she felt about the verdict and whether it had sunk in. “How could it? Surreal and difficult. In part, yes. This has been a long time coming.” When asked about her testimony, she said: “I will stand by every word of my testimony until my dying day.” Oliver O’Connell14 June 2022 12:33 1655204400

Heard calls Depp a ‘fantastic actor’ in first post-verdict interview

The Independent’s Inga Parkel reports: Megan Sheets14 June 2022 12:00 1655200800

Heard says she doesn’t blame jurors for siding with Depp

Heard says she doesn’t blame jurors for siding with Depp In a clip from the interview released Monday, Heard said she “understands” why jurors ruled in favour of Depp. “I don’t blame them. I actually understand. He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor,” she said. The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has more: Megan Sheets14 June 2022 11:00