Amber Heard opened up about coming out as bisexual at The Economist’s Pride & Prejudice Summit in New York on Thursday.
The actress admitted that before she came out in 2010, she was told she wouldn’t have any more success in the industry if she discussed her sexuality.
“It did impact my career, it was difficult. It was not easy,” she said. “I was the only one working in this way, so it was definitely difficult because no one had done it. I did that even though everyone told me it would end my career, without a doubt.”
According to People, Amber revealed that some directors weren’t sure she would be able to play a straight woman in a “romantic” lead convincingly.
“I rolled my eyes at that,” she explained. “And I said, ‘Watch me do it.’ And I did it.”
Amber also shared that she became “attached to a label” after coming out, but she has never defined herself by who she loves, and never hid her sexuality.
“When I hear someone comment about me coming out, I think it’s funny because I was never in,” she said, pointing out that she would go to marches for LGBT rights before she came out in the media. “In part because I was very stubborn, I guess, and also in part because I just didn’t feel it was wrong.”
Amber dated photographer Tasya van Ree for four years and they broke up in 2012, the same year she got together with now ex-husband Johnny Depp.
