After years of controversy and silence, Amber Heard has resurfaced with a surprising and deeply personal reveal — a series of family photos shared on social media, offering the first real glimpse into her new life after legally changing her name and quietly moving overseas. The 38-year-old actress, who vanished from Hollywood following her high-profile defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp, appears almost unrecognizable — calm, smiling, and surrounded by family in what fans are calling “a new beginning.”
Heard posted the intimate images to her private Instagram account, later reshared by fan pages, showing her walking barefoot through a garden with her daughter Oonagh, enjoying beach sunsets, and laughing beside her sister Whitney Henriquez. The photos mark her first personal update in months and her first public acknowledgment that she has officially changed her legal name — reportedly to “Amber van Ree-Heard,” honoring her late grandmother and her former partner, photographer Tasya van Ree.
In the caption, Heard wrote simply: “Peace, privacy, and family. That’s all I ever wanted.” Within hours, the post was trending worldwide under the hashtag #AmberHeard, drawing millions of comments ranging from heartfelt support to disbelief. “This doesn’t even look like the same person who was on trial,” one fan wrote. “She looks genuinely free.”
“Amber Heard shares rare family photos, confirms new name and life abroad: ‘Peace, privacy, and family — that’s all I ever wanted.’” @people
According to reports from Hola! and Vanity Fair, Heard has been living in a quiet coastal town in Spain for over a year under her new identity. Locals told reporters she often goes by “Martha” — a deliberate move to blend in and protect her daughter’s privacy. “She’s very polite, keeps to herself, and speaks perfect Spanish,” one neighbor said. “You’d never guess she used to be a movie star.”
Heard’s relocation came shortly after she sold her California home in Yucca Valley in 2022 and settled the defamation case with Depp for $1 million — a payment her insurance reportedly covered. Following that, she disappeared from public view, skipping red carpets and major industry events entirely. When paparazzi photos surfaced last year showing her pushing a stroller along a cobblestone street in Madrid, fans speculated she had permanently relocated to Europe. This latest update confirms it.
“She’s done running,” a source close to Heard told The Cut. “The trial destroyed her emotionally, but moving abroad gave her a chance to rebuild herself away from all the noise.”
In one of the new images, Heard can be seen planting flowers with her daughter in a sunlit garden. Another shows her cooking dinner beside her sister. “I never realized how much peace could come from simplicity,” she wrote in a now-archived X post. “I don’t miss chaos. I miss art.”
“Amber Heard is now living in Spain, raising her daughter, and has quietly changed her name — ‘She just wants a normal life.’” @vanityfair
Fans and critics alike are interpreting the name change as symbolic — an effort to reclaim her identity after being vilified in one of the most publicized celebrity trials in modern history. “She’s removing herself from the narrative,” said entertainment analyst Sharon Waxman in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Amber knows her name became toxic in the U.S. This is her way of starting clean — not just legally, but spiritually.”
Others have been quick to note that Heard appears more at ease than she has in years. “There’s no makeup, no Hollywood styling — just her and her child,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “She looks like she finally exhaled.”
While Heard has largely avoided addressing her past directly, her few recent interviews suggest she has made peace with it. In a conversation with The Independent, she said, “I survived something that could have broken anyone. I’ve chosen to live, to love, and to be a mother.”
Still, the scars remain. “The internet has a long memory,” she admitted during that same discussion. “No matter what I say, people will twist it. So I stopped talking — and started living.”
“Amber Heard’s quiet reinvention in Spain shows a woman choosing peace over public approval.” @reuters
Industry insiders say Heard has quietly resumed acting work through smaller European projects, including an independent film shot in Mallorca earlier this year. “She’s rebuilding her career in her own way,” one producer told Deadline. “She doesn’t want blockbusters — she wants meaningful art.”
Her friends describe her as “happier, more grounded, and entirely focused on her daughter.” A source close to the family revealed that Heard spends most of her time outdoors and has developed close relationships with locals. “They go to the market, to the beach, and no one bothers them,” the source said. “It’s the first time she’s truly free.”
On social media, reaction to Heard’s transformation has been surprisingly empathetic. “You don’t have to like her to see that she’s finding peace,” one commenter wrote. “After everything she went through, that’s something everyone deserves.” Another wrote simply: “Maybe healing looks like this — sun, family, and silence.”
Though it remains unclear if she plans to return to Hollywood, insiders say Heard is content staying where she is. “She’s not looking back,” one friend said. “For Amber, this isn’t exile — it’s rebirth.”