Amber Heard has returned to Instagram to reflect on her ‘unforgettable weekend’ after attending the Taormina film festival in Sicily to promote her new film.

The actress, 37, shared a photo of her beaming on stage, a year on from her contentious defamation trial with her ex-husband Johnny Depp.

It has been a difficult year for the Aquaman star, after the actor, 60, sued her for a 2018 Washington Post article she wrote about being abused, which his lawyers said was about Johnny.

The trial was highly publicised at the time and the jury reached a verdict that largely sided with Johnny, though Amber won one of her three counterclaims.

Amber’s last social media post was a statement in December 2022, revealing she had made the ‘very difficult decision’ to reach a settlement in the case.

Comeback: Amber Heard has returned to Instagram to reflect on her ‘unforgettable weekend’ after attending the Taormina film festival in Sicily to promote her new film

She wrote: ‘Thank you for such an incredibly warm reception at the Taormina Film festival for my latest movie In the Fire. It was an unforgettable weekend’

Grateful: Sharing a second photo of her being surrounded by fans and paparazzi she added: ‘What a reception… Thank you to all of my fans and supporters. I am so touched’

But it appeared that she had put the experience behind her on Saturday as she thanked her fans on Instagram.

She wrote: ‘Thank you for such an incredibly warm reception at the Taormina Film festival for my latest movie In the Fire. It was an unforgettable weekend.’

Sharing a second photo of her being surrounded by fans and paparazzi she added: ‘What a reception… Thank you to all of my fans and supporters. I am so touched.’

In The Fire tells the story of a doctor in 1899 who is called upon to treat a disturbed young boy in Columbia, who is accused of being possessed by the Devil.

Amber told Deadline that her appearance at the festival was to ‘support a movie’ and nothing else.

She told the publication: ‘A big thing I had to learn,(was) that I’m not in control of stories other people create around me.

‘That’s something that probably I’ll appreciate as a blessing further down the line. Right now, I just kind of want to not have, you know, stones thrown at me so much.

‘I’m here to support a movie. And that’s not something I can be sued for.’

She added: ‘What I have been through, what I’ve lived through, doesn’t make my career at all. And it’s certainly not gonna stop my career.’

In The Fire director Conor Allyn also spoke to Deadline, saying he’s ‘so happy’ that despite Amber going through ‘something so awful’, the experience ‘didn’t change her as a person.’

He said: ‘She’s still the shining light … and to go through something that terrible and be able to come out the other side and be whole, well, I can’t imagine it.’

Trying times: It has been a difficult year for the Aquaman star, after the actor, 60, sued her for a 2018 Washington Post article she wrote about being abused, which his lawyers said was about Johnny

Supportive: In The Fire director Conor Allyn also spoke to Deadline , saying he’s ‘so happy’ that despite Amber going through ‘something so awful’, the experience ‘didn’t change her as a person’

Plot: In The Fire tells the story of a doctor in 1899 who is called upon to treat a disturbed young boy in Columbia, who is accused of being possessed by the Devil

He also told People that Amber ‘has an incredibly bright future ahead’ while praising her performance in his film.

Conor said: ‘I think In the Fire showcases her talents as an actor. I know this is something she is very proud of and it’s something we are very excited to release to the public.

‘I think it will be a great opportunity for her to have something beyond the trial and stuff to talk about and to be a platform for a hell of a comeback.’

Amber’s co-star Luca Calvani agreed, saying: ‘Anyone that suffers that sort of ordeal and is able to overcome it with grace, no matter what side you’re on, no matter what you believe or which social media [outlet] you plug into or whatever your hashtags are, you have to give credit for the incredible journey this woman has been through, and she can teach us all a couple of things as far as resilience and courage.’