Amber Heard Says She Didn't Come vers l'avant, vers l’avant Until Now To Protect Johnny Depp's Career 

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Amber Heard Didn\'t Report Johnny Depp\'s Alleged Domestic Abuse to LAPD to Protect His Career and Her Privacy, She Says

Amber Heard is explaining why she didn\'t tell police about her alleged abuse from Johnny Depp.

In a new statement, Heard\'s lawyers say she is "simply a victim of domestic violence" who decided not report her alleged abuse to police who responded to a 911 call on May 21 in order to "protect her privacy and Johnny\'s career."

"As the result of Amber\'s decision to decline giving an initial statement to the LAPD, her silence has been used against her by Johnny\'s team," Heard\'s attorney Samantha F. Spector and her co-counsel Joseph P. Koenig say in the statement. "Amber did not provide a statement to the LAPD in an attempt to protect her privacy and Johnny\'s career. Johnny\'s team has forced Amber to give a statement to the LAPD to set the record straight as to the true facts, as she cannot continue to leave herself open to the vicious false and malicious allegations that have infected the media."

"Amber has suffered through years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of Johnny," the statement continues. "In domestic violence cases, it is not unusual for the perpetrator\'s playbook to include miscasting the victim as the villain."

Heard filed a for a domestic violence restraining order on Friday following an allegedly violent confrontation on Saturday, which she described in her court papers, that resulted in the cops being called to the actor\'s downtown Los Angeles apartment. Though the cops urged her to make a statement, a source told PEOPLE the actress declined because she was too shaken.

In the statement, Heard\'s attorneys assert she acted no differently than many other abuse victims.

"In reality, Amber acted no differently than many victims of domestic violence, who think first of the harm that might come to the abuser, rather than the abuse they have already suffered," say Spector and Koenig. "Amber can no longer endure the relentless attacks and outright lies launched against her character in the Court of Public Opinion since the tragic events of May 21st."

"With her statement Amber hopes to give the LAPD the opportunity to conduct an accurate and complete investigation into the events of that evening and before. If that occurs, and the truth is revealed, there is no doubt that Amber\'s claims will be substantiated beyond any doubt, and hopefully Johnny will get the help that he so desperately needs."

A police spokesman previously told PEOPLE they found "no evidence of any crime" when officers responded to the scene, and reiterated that statement when contacted by PEOPLE on Tuesday about Heard\'s lawyers\' contention that the cops witnessed the "disarray" of the apartment and her physical injuries.

"From the beginning it has been Amber\'s desire to keep this matter as private as possible, even though LAPD officers responded to a 911 call made by a third-party. The LAPD officers viewed not only the disarray that Johnny had caused in the apartment but also the physical injuries to Amber\'s face," reads the statement. "We filed the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage at the very end of the day on Monday May 23 and we did not serve Johnny with the Petition at the premiere of

that evening. We sent a letter to Johnny\'s counsel team the next morning making it clear we wanted to keep this matter out of the media. We then held off requesting a domestic violence restraining order as we knew that Johnny was out of the country."

In court documents responding to Heard\'s initial court filing, Depp\'s attorney Laura Wasser alleged that Heard "is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."

Heard\'s statement concludes by maintaining that Heard is not making accusations for financial gains, but to shed light on the truth of the tragic situation.

"We took the high road. Unfortunately, Johnny\'s team immediately went to the press and began viciously attacking Amber\'s character. Amber is simply a victim of domestic violence, and none of her actions are motivated by money. Amber is a brave and financially independent woman who is showing the courage of her convictions by doing the right thing against Johnny\'s relentless army of lawyers and surrogates.

"The Family Law Court is not going to be influenced by misinformation placed in the social media based on anonymous sources. Amber is the victim. Amber is a hero."

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