Amber Heard pens emotional open letter about domestic abuse

Amber Heard has opened up about her experiences with domestic abuse in an emotional open letter.

The 30-year-old actress penned the letter for Porter magazine's December issue - the latest step in her bid to encourage women who have experienced domestic abuse to come forward.

Amber appeared to be alluding to personal experience by writing: "I was raised to be independent and self-reliant. I was never given nor wanted the burden of dependency. I never felt like anyone would or could rescue me, so naturally I resented the label of ‘victim.'"

Amber married actor Johnny Depp in February last year (15), without a prenuptial agreement in place, and the Magic Mike XXL actress filed for divorce in May (16), alleging she had been the victim of domestic violence during the marriage. They settled their divorce in August (16) with Amber receiving $7 million , which she donated to charities including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

In the letter, Amber continued to insist that anyone who has been on the receiving end of domestic abuse should know they are "not alone", and will be supported by millions of others if they come forward with their experiences.

"You may have suffered alone behind closed doors, but you are not alone. You need to know that. I want to remind you of your strength, a strength that has been multiplied by the number of women who stand silently behind you - a truth that allowed me to break down the doors I once found myself behind," she said.

"Let's start with the truth - the cold, hard truth. When a woman comes forward to speak out about injustice or her suffering, instead of aid, respect and support, she will be met with hostility, skepticism and shame. Her motives will be questioned and her truth ignored."

Adding that "it takes real strength to come forward", Amber continued: "It isn't easy to raise your voice, to stand up for yourself and your truth, and to do it ‘alone.'

"As I write this today, I can promise every woman who is suffering in silence, you are not alone. You may not see us, but we are there."

Amber's letter comes shortly after she filmed a powerful public service announcement encouraging women to speak up about domestic violence.