When Amber Heard first publicly shared that she was bisexual, she didn’t think about the repercussions until she saw everyone else’s reactions. “I just answered honestly. I could tell by the look on this person’s face it was a big deal. My poor publicist,” the actor recalled the first time she talked about her ex-girlfriend Tasya van Ree. “Then I realized the gravity of what I had done and why so many people — studio execs, agents, advisors — did not want this coming before my name. I became attached to a label. I’ve never seen myself defined by the person I’m with.”
Also read: Corps member stabbed to death by suspected armed robbers in Adamawa
While she previously came out as bisexual by admitting to liking both men and women, Heard later clarified that she doesn’t want to put a label on her sexuality. “I don’t identify as anything,” she explained in her Allure cover story in 2017. “I like who I like.” She also pointed out how assigning labels can be restricting. “It’s limiting, that LGBTQ thing… It loses its efficacy because of the nuanced nature of humanity… It’s so important to resist labels.”
Also read: Sport minister calls for ‘change’ at Hockey Canada as calls for resignations mount
And while she’s aware that being out could jeopardize her career, Heard remains unapologetic, saying that she will never change herself to be successful. “I don’t want to have to deny my sexuality to be me,” she told The Times. “But I don’t want to have to be defined by it. I’m fundamentally opposed to trying to edit myself to be palatable or popular. I don’t give a f***. I fight, but I shouldn’t have to.”
