Last June, Amber Heard appeared in public for the first time in Sicily, Italy to attend the Taormina Film Festival to promote “In the Fire”, a new horror film in which she plays a role. a psychiatrist working in Colombia in the 1890s.

After a noisy lawsuit with her ex-husband Johnny Depp, Amber Heard withdrew from the entertainment industry and moved to Spain with her daughter. It wasn’t until the end of June that she first appeared in public in Sicily, Italy to attend the Taormina Film Festival to promote “In the Fire”, a new horror film in which she plays a female character. Psychiatrist working in Colombia in the 1890s.

The film’s director, Conor Allyn, told People that the film “will be a great opportunity for her to have something beyond challenges and things to talk about, and a good platform for her development.” her return”.

That’s the hope, of course — that this new film marks Heard’s uncontroversial return to both her career and the public eye. But her return may not be as smooth as her ex-husband’s.

Amber Heard appeared in public for the first time after the lawsuit with Johnny Depp in early 2022.

Johnny Depp continued his career immediately after the trial ended. He started touring again with his old rock band – Hollywood Vampires, and this year, he appeared at the Cannes Film Festival to promote his first major film in three years – “Jeanne du Barry”.

Johnny Depp’s appearance at Cannes caused some protests, but the actor received a seven-minute standing ovation at the film’s premiere and was more or less embraced by the industry again. Johnny Depp still doesn’t forget to recall that he was ostracized in Hollywood after his controversial personal life. The actor once said in an interview in 2021: “Is Hollywood still boycotting me? A man, an actor went through a very miserable and chaotic divorce. Yet He’s been ostracized for the past few years, that’s my reality right now.”

Meanwhile, Amber Heard has avoided talking about the trial, in which Depp argued that she defamed him by implying he abused her in a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post. Instead , she tried to focus on her new movie.

In an interview with Deadline in Taormina, she said: “I control most of what comes out of my mouth. What I don’t control is how proud I am of this project and all that we put on it”.

She added: “So let’s get the ‘elephant out of the room,’ and let me say it. I’m an actress. I’m here to support a movie. And that’s not what it is.” that I could be sued”.

Public relations experts say this is Heard’s best strategy moving forward. Gary Sheffer, a public relations professor at Boston University and an expert on dealing with media crises, says it’s important for the public to see “Amber Heard the actress, not Amber Heard the present.” the”.

“Amber’s comeback from situations like this is as good as her performance,” he said. “People are very forgiving.”

He added: “There is nothing to be gained by reconciling or resolving her dispute with Johnny Depp.”

Both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are trying to return to Hollywood after a noisy personal life.

This is especially true as Heard has faced much criticism and “cyber violence” from Depp’s fans. The uproar surrounding the trial has gotten so out of control that Heard fired her own media crisis team during the proceedings, the New York Post reported. While Depp can go on and on about how unfairly he’s been treated in the press – making his fans angry – Heard doesn’t have the same option if she wants to be accepted return to Hollywood.

And so far, Heard’s career opportunities are less than those of Depp. Taormina is no Cannes, and Heard doesn’t have the built-in fan base to support vanity projects like Depp’s band. Therefore, she has to be more discreet and strategic in finding her glory again. Tabloids have reported that she has been living in Madrid with her daughter since the trial ended.

A source told PEOPLE this week that Heard “has renewed energy and focus on the things she loves” now that she’s living abroad.

Sheffer doesn’t think Depp’s easier return will stop Heard from forging a new path.

“I think both can achieve their own success,” he said.

There had been widespread speculation that Heard would be dropped from the “Aquaman” sequel scheduled for release in December, and Heard even testified during the trial that her role was reduced because of the controversy. with Depp. But at CinemaCon in April, Warner Bros. premiered the film’s first trailer, which features Heard as Mera.

Meanwhile, Disney has not committed to welcoming Depp back to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. Perhaps Heard’s slow and steady comeback strategy will prevail in the end.