Amber Heard leaves Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse after the jury announced split verdicts in favor of both her ex-husband Johnny Depp and Heard on their claim and counter-claim in the Depp v. Heard civil defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit C
Amber Heard leaves Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse after the jury announced split verdicts in favor of both her ex-husband Johnny Depp and Heard on their claim and counter-claim in the Depp v. Heard civil defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, U. Reuters / TOM BRENNER

KEY POINTS

  • Whitney Henriquez showed her appreciation for an open letter supporting her sister Amber Heard
  • The letter was signed by 140 experts and organizations condemning the ramification of the Johnny Depp vs. Heard verdict
  • Henriquez said her faith in humanity had been called into question since the defamation trial between Heard and Depp

Amber Heard's sister, Whitney Henriquez, appreciates the open letter supporting the "Aquaman" star.

An open letter was published Wednesday supporting Heard amid her legal battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp. It was signed by over 140 experts and organizations, including Gloria Steinem, Constance Wu and "Allen v. Farrow" director Amy Ziering plus groups like the National Women's Law Center, Women's March Foundation and more. It condemns the ramification of the verdict in the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial in Virginia on June 1.

Henriquez showed her appreciation by sharing snaps of the open letter on Instagram. She also accompanied it with a lengthy caption detailing how it was a "much-needed breath of fresh air" for her.

"To simply say that my faith in humanity has been called into question since the trial/verdict would be a gross understatement," she wrote. "Not only did it highlight some pretty f---ing major flaws in the judicial system, [but] it also showed just how deeply misogynistic this world is and how harassment of anyone who speaks out or has a differing opinion is just simply accepted (just take a look at some of the comments on my posts, and undoubtedly this one 😂)."

She continued, "It's a world that I'm scared to raise my kids in, and every day it just seems harder and harder to navigate and deal with." Henriquez shares two kids with her husband Gavin Henriquez, Hunter, who turns 4 next month, and Harlin Willow, 8 months.

Henriquez testified for Heard during the defamation trial. She claimed in her testimony that Depp hit her and gave her an NDA not to mention it.

The open letter supporting Head alleged that the harassment against the actress was "fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a monetized social media environment where a woman's allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment." The same disinformation and victim-blaming analogy were reportedly used against those who came forward with their stories of abuse.

"In our opinion, the Depp v. Heard verdict and continued discourse around it indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and sexual violence and how survivors respond to it. The damaging consequences of the spread of this misinformation are incalculable. We have grave concerns about the rising misuse of defamation suits to threaten and silence survivors," a part of the open letter read.

"We condemn the public shaming of Amber Heard and join in support of her. We support the ability of all to report intimate partner and sexual violence free of harassment and intimidation."

Amber Heard in the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia on June 1, 2022
Amber Heard in the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia on June 1, 2022 POOL via AFP / EVELYN HOCKSTEIN