Amber Heard Came Out in 2010 & Dated a 10-Years Older Woman before Meeting Johnny Depp

Amber Heard rose to fame following her appearances in hits like "Pineapple Express" and "The Stepfather." At the peak of her career, she sparked controversy after coming out as bisexual and has since dated both men and women.

The "The Danish Girl" actress Amber Heard has always been open about her sexuality and spoke about it often. In 2010, the actress came out as non-heterosexual, a stance many felt was unwise.

Those close to her told her she was throwing her career away by coming out, but Heard did not let other people's fears sway her decision and would not have it any other way.

HEARD CAME OUT DESPITE ADVICE NOT TO

After coming out, Heard disclosed that while she did not like labels, she was happy to love whomever she loved and thought it an injustice to stay in the closet. Speaking to GLAAD, she said:

"I think that the injustice of people staying in the closet is more than I can bear with a clear conscience, and I couldn't sleep at night if I was a part of that problem if I was part of the lies."

She then thanked GLAAD, saying that were it not for the changing opinions, engaging people to do the right thing, and influencing them, there would not have been a prerogative for anyone to come out.

Despite being open about her sexuality for years, Heard hated that she was receiving lots of media attention since her coming out. She felt frustrated as she did not want to be labeled one way or another and would tell Metro:

"I have had successful relationships with men and now a woman. I love who I love. It's the person that matters."

When she came out at 24, back in 2010, she was in a relationship with photographer Tasya Van Ree and had been since 2008.

HEARD DATED PHOTOGRAPHER TASYA VAN REE

"The Price To Pay" actress and her girlfriend, Tasya Van Ree, had been together for two years before she came out. Their whirlwind romance was so intense that Heard legally changed her name to Van Ree during the relationship.

However, like any other relationship, theirs had its ups and downs. In 2009, the actress was arrested for domestic violence against Van Ree after the two had an altercation at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Years later, photographer and painter Van Ree denied the claims, saying that those around them had misinterpreted the incident and wrongly accused Heard. Page Six reports Van Ree to have said of the incident:

"I recount hints of misogynistic attitudes toward us, which later appeared to be homophobic when they found out we were domestic partners and not just 'friends.'"

Nevertheless, they chose to stay together and brave their challenges as a team. Heard recalls how people would take photos of them whenever they were out together.

She recounted one incident where they walked to their car after dinner holding hands. As the cameras started clicking away, she had to choose between letting go of her girlfriend's hand or owning it and keep holding on. She chose the latter.

Unfortunately, despite weathering their relationship storms together, their relationship ended in 2012, and the two went separate ways. Soon after, the "Never Back Down" actress met her future husband, "The Dark Shadows" actor Johnny Depp.

A NEW LOVE INTEREST FOR HEARD

Like most Hollywood romances, Heard and Depp's started on set after starring in the 2009 film "The Rum Diary." Depp played journalist Paul Kemp who takes a job in Puerto Rico and falls head-over-heels in love with Chenault, played by Heard.

Back then, they were both with other people — Heard was with Van Ree, while Depp was with his partner of many years, Vanessa Paradis — but a scene in the movie changed the dynamics of their relationship for good.

Depp would later disclose that when they shot a kissing scene in the shower, he felt "something [he] should not be feeling," while Heard seconded his sentiment, saying:

"I felt chemistry. I felt this other thing that went beyond my job, for sure. Johnny clearly felt that way about me."

As it would turn out, they were both engaged elsewhere romantically, so they did not start dating until 2012, when they separated from their respective partners. After rekindling their flame from three years earlier, the couple became official.

Depp thought Heard was "too good to be true" as she was funny, understanding, kind, and intelligent, and the two had plenty in common. They loved the same type of music and literature, and as "The Man Who Cried" actor would later confess:

"She seemed to be the perfect partner in a sense, in my head."

After dating for two years, they got engaged in 2014 and married at Depp's private island in 2015, a ceremony witnessed by close friends and family.

Unfortunately, their union seemed doomed from the start, and after only 15 months of marriage, Heard filed for divorce, which became final in 2016.

ANOTHER SHOT AT LOVE

Following her failed marriage to the "The Lone Ranger" actor, Heard once again found love with a woman. The "One More Time" actress and her new beau, cinematographer Bianca Butti were first spotted together in San Diego in January 2020.

Butti donned white jeans and a striped scarf, while Heard wore an orange midi dress and a plaid coat. The two walked, hands linked happily with coffee cups in the other.

Soon after, other photos of the couple emerged, where they appeared to be getting cozy with one another in public during a trip to Palm Springs.

The public displays of affection seemed like a good reprieve for Butti, who has been undergoing an entirely new round of treatments for her second breast cancer diagnosis.

Sadly, after two years of navigating a long-distance relationship and spending several months away from each other — with Heard shooting "Aquaman 2" in the UK and Butti in Los Angeles — the couple decided to break off the relationship and split in December 2021.