Four years after swapping the hamster wheel of Hollywood for a slower-paced lifestyle in Spain’s capital city, Amber Heard has celebrated some major milestones since losing her defamation trial against her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The actress, who turns 40 years old on Wednesday (22 April), made a clean break in Madrid in the wake of her high-profile court case with Depp, and new pictures show what she’s up to now after turning her back on fame.
In what appears to be a bid to completely cut ties with her past, Heard even reportedly changed her name.
She apparently goes by the moniker Martha Jane Cannary, El Diario de Mallorca previously reported.
This is the real name of legendary American sharpshooter Calamity Jane, who acquired a reputation as a fearless adventurer who was partial to a few bevvies.
Amber Heard has been enjoying theatre after leaving Hollywood behind, as demonstrated in this social media post from last year (Instagram/@amberheard)
Heard doesn’t seem to be embodying the spirit of this icon who ran the Wild West though, as she’s living a much more leisurely life after swapping the States for Spain.
Depp v Heard fallout
She sold her California home in 2022, a few months after Depp triumphed in the defamation trial that gripped people around the world.
A jury found the Aquaman actress’ op-ed in the Washington Post about domestic violence contained statements that were false, defamatory, and made with malice after a six-week court case.
The actress left the US after her legal battle with former husband Johnny Depp (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Depp was awarded a total of $15 million in damages, which was subsequently reduced to $10.35 million.
Meanwhile, Heard walked away with $2 million in damages in relation to her countersuit against the Pirates of the Caribbean star, despite losing the legal battle.
In court, she claimed that her divorce with Depp and the fallout that followed led to her role in Aquaman 2 being drastically reduced, while also alleging that she was ‘released from her contract’ because of their public feud.
Her leading role as Mera was drastically whittled down in the sequel – and she had a total of 11 lines and only around 20 minutes of screen time in the two hour and four minute film.
Heard, pictured in Madrid in 2024, reportedly changed her name to Martha Jane Cannary (Francisco Guerra/Europa Press via Getty Images)Becoming a mum
Heard, who hails from Texas, opted to step away from the spotlight after the trial wrapped up and moved to Spain with her daughter Oonagh Paige, who she welcomed via surrogate in April 2021.
The mum then announced she had welcomed twins – daughter Agnes and son Ocean – last year.
Amber Heard now lives a more private life (Instagram/@amberheard)
Recent photos captured Heard carrying her baby girl, while Oonagh walked alongside her, and a pal had a hold of her little boy.
The family were spotted exploring the Spanish town of Cadaqués during what appeared to be a mini-break.
The mum pictured celebrating Halloween in Spain with her children last year (Instagram/@amberheard)Making a new career move
Although she has been staying away from the big screen since moving across the globe, Heard did enjoy a stint on stage last year in Spirit of the People, written by Jeremy O. Harris.
She received applause for her role as ‘Genevieve’ in the production, which she starred in alongside the likes of Ato Blankson-Wood, Zachary Booth, Brandon Flynn and Amandla Jahava.
Heard had announced she had signed up for the gig in an Instagram post where she told fans that she was now ‘in her theatre era’.
Her latest Instagram update was in November 2025 (Instagram/@amberheard)
Despite offering a few updates on her new life via social media since moving to Spain, she hasn’t shared any posts on the photo-sharing platform since November last year.
Sharing a carousel of snaps on Instagram, she wrote: “Thanksgiving cheers over the years. A look back at all the full hearts and plates I’ve shared. Hoping you are well topped up on both this year.”
However, a host of her fans continue to leave supportive comments on her most recent post – proving that although Heard is now largely out of sight, she isn’t out of mind.