Amber Heard shares message on Instagram ahead of court battle against ex-husband Johnny Depp

Amber Heard has announced she will be "going offline" for the next few weeks as she gears up for her court battle against ex-husband Johnny Depp.

In a post made to Instagram, Heard addressed her upcoming court case with Depp which is taking place West Virginia.

She started off the lengthy statement saying, "Johnny is suing me for an op-ed I wrote in the Washington Post, in which I recounted my experience of violence and domestic abuse."

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"I never named him, rather I wrote about the price women pay for speaking against men in power. I continue to pay that price, but hopefully, when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny."

The actress and mum said that she has "always maintained a love for Johnny" and felt pained by the fact that the details of their former life together were being lived out in the public eye.

"At this time, I recognize the ongoing support I've been fortunate to receive throughout these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever," she concluded the statement.

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In 2019, Depp filed a lawsuit for defamation against Heard over the op-ed she wrote in the Washington Post, which detailed her alleged experiences with domestic violence without naming Depp, 55.

The op-ed was titled, "I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change."

In the piece, she described the history of abuse she received from an early age and pointed to a culture that protects male abusers, ultimately calling for change.

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Depp's suit, which is for US$50 million (approx. $70 million), says Heard, 32, "is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator."

The suit also denies that Depp ever abused Heard, and claims that her allegations were part of an "elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity" for herself.