After a difficult year, much of which was played out under the harsh microscope of the public eye, Amber Heard has shared a powerful public service announcement about domestic violence for GirlGaze.
"How is this happening to me? I'm strong, smart, I'm not a victim," she says at the beginning, later noting: "I guess there was a lot of shame attached to that, the label of 'victim'."
"It happens to so many women you know. When it happens in your home behind closed doors with someone you love, it's not straightforward. If a stranger did this it would be a no-brainer.
"As a women having gone through this in the public stage, in the public arena that I did it in, I have a unique opportunity to remind other women that this doesn't have to be the way it is. You don't have to do it alone. You're not alone, and we can change this."
In the video, the 30-year-old actress urges women to come forward and break the cycle of abuse, and the stigma of being a “victim”.
"We need to take responsibility for how we talk about these things. The only way people are going to feel comfortable coming forward, raising their voices and standing up for themselves, is if we change the system in place that keeps them quiet," she says.
"Speak up, speak up. Raise your voice, your voice is the most powerful thing and we, together, as women standing shoulder to shoulder cannot and will not any longer accept silence."
Amber split from husband Johnny Depp in May after only 15 months of marriage, accusing him of being violent towards her.
She publicly donated the $7 million from her divorce settlement to a domestic violence charity.
