Amber Heard welcomed daughter Oonagh Paige Heard via surrogacy in April

I cannot even imagine what recent years have been like for Amber Heard, with an army of trolls and paid bots attacking her constantly and trying to get her fired from every job she gets. She’s become much more reticent about showing her fans anything about her private life. I would assume, then, that one of the major news or gossip outlets got some kind of tip about this news, and Amber is currently trying to break the story on her own terms. Amber became a mother this year. She welcomed her daughter via surrogacy, and she confirmed the news with an Instagram:

I’m so excited to share this news with you. Four years ago, I decided I wanted to have a child. I wanted to do it on my own terms. I now appreciate how radical it is for us as women to think about one of the most fundamental parts of our destinies in this way. I hope we arrive at a point in which it’s normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib. A part of me wants to uphold that my private life is none of anyone’s business. I also get that the nature of my job compels me to take control of this. My daughter was born on April 8, 2021. Her name is Oonagh Paige Heard. She’s the beginning of the rest of my life.

[From Amber’s IG]

Good for her! I think Page Six was the outlet prepared to break the story and Amber was just ready to announce it on her own terms. Page Six had a friend confirm to them exclusively that Amber welcomed Oonagh via surrogate “after Heard was told she would never be able to carry her own baby.” The language isn’t great, “friend.” Oonagh is “her own baby.” Page Six also said that while Amber is in a relationship with Bianca Butti, Amber did this on her own and she’s the sole legal parent to the little girl. A source also told Page Six:

“Oonagh is absolutely gorgeous, and Amber is besotted. She always knew that she wanted to be a mom, and this is her greatest wish come true. She’s so grateful to the wonderful woman who helped bring Oonagh into her life. The most important thing for Amber is that she’s open about Oonagh’s birth. There are so many women who feel they can’t talk about their fertility and are worried and embarrassed; Amber wants them to feel supported and realize that there are a multitude of ways to have a baby even if you have fertility issues.”

[From Page Six]

I think this is great! And good for her for keeping it a secret for months too, I bet she had a really nice time bonding with the baby and not having people breathe down her neck about it for months. She basically announced the kid a week after she arrived on set for Aquaman 2.

What are our thoughts about Oonagh? My gut said it was an Irish name and I was right. It’s not my favorite name or anything but I honestly don’t hate it.

Amber Heard Arrives at Court Day Sixteen - Tuesday 28 July - Royal Courts Of Justice, London

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and IG.

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72 Responses to “Amber Heard welcomed daughter Oonagh Paige Heard via surrogacy in April”

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  1. Case says:

    Congratulations to Amber! This is lovely news, and what a beautiful baby. I think Oonagh is a gorgeous name – it’s unique without being too out there.

    • Humbugged says:

      It means pure .It is both Irish/Scots

    • Mtec says:

      I totally agree I think Oonagh is such a cute name and unique but not in an obnoxious way loll. Good for her sound like she’s been preparing for this for a long time.

    • Sunnydaze says:

      I also love that I guessed the pronunciation right! Sometimes Gaelic names are very, very tricky (I saw the link it was Irish, but I’m guessing by the spelling Gaelic), really love the sound!

      • FrontPorchSittin says:

        *Gaelic is a family of languages that includes both Irish and Scottish Gaelic, not a standalone language.

      • Fódhla says:

        It is lovely, isn’t it, Sunnydaze?

        “Oonagh” is an anglicised phonetical spelling of the Irish name “Úna”. Irish names can be perplexing alright to people who do not speak Irish. Understandably.

    • tealily says:

      I hadn’t seen this spelling before, but I have a friend named Oona and I always thought it was a lovely name.

    • kimmy says:

      I like it too….reminds me of my daughter’s favorite show though…Bubble Guppies!

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      Congratulations to Amber! Oonagh is pretty, but I *really* love the name Orla- it just rolls off the tongue.

  2. OliveFull says:

    Congratulations to Amber. I’m hoping this comment section doesn’t devolve into the dumpster fires I’ve seen elsewhere.

    • Anony83 says:

      In the interest of happy comments, my husband and I just had our first child via surrogate after *I* was told I shouldn’t carry a pregnancy to term (god bless my sister-in-law who volunteered) and I love seeing stories about surrogacy.

      So many people were involved in helping bring our baby into this world; it’s a beautiful example of community AND science. At the very least, you know this baby will always be cherished.

      • Mtec says:

        @Anony83 Congratulations!! Glad it worked out well for y’all. Surrogacy is not an uncomplicated process i imagine haha. But then again what pregnancy is 💁🏽‍♀️

      • Embee says:

        Congratulations!!!! How absolutely wonderful!

      • NeoCleo says:

        How lovely that your sister-in-law helped you have a child. It’s truly all in the family, isn’t it!

  3. Meghan says:

    I read this on BF last night and the comments were awful. Not a single person showed support for Amber and were saying horrible things about her. I’ve never been a fan of her work but I admire her courage and strength to take on Johnny Depp and never back down. I believe Amber.

    Congratulations to her and her beautiful baby and I wish them all the best.

    • Snazzy says:

      yes, it’s insane how she still lives rent free in so many minds – the rage she inspires is really nonsensical. I believe her too, and wish her the best of luck

    • Lily P says:

      honestly, the power of these men to control the narrative is terrifying.

    • Savu says:

      I was reading it there too, and it made me sick. I couldn’t believe it. Like, THIS many people believe him??? They have to be tons of bots, right? It was just so gross. I hope Amber’ has some peace from the nonsense.

      • Meghan says:

        Yes! I will admit I loved Johnny during his Vanessa years and was jealous (?) when he and Amber got together and didn’t like her, and like I said I’m not a fan of her work.

        But as soon as the abuse stories came out I believed her. And if she hit him during that time then so what? She was suffering horrific abuse. And that has no bearing on what kind of mother she will be. I’m not aware of her background and I would be more concerned if there was a family history of abuse but again- people break that cycle every single day.

        She wanted to be a mom and she was able to make that happen. Kudos to her and eff all the Johnny Depp loonies.

    • Case says:

      That’s because most of the internet believes they’re somehow more qualified to judge her and Depp’s situation than an actual judge, and don’t understand that the legal proceedings have everything to do with Depp bringing it up and ruining his career all on his own, and nothing to do with Amber.

      I also used to love Depp but dropped him the second she came out with her allegations. Their relationship was clearly messy and toxic, but I believe her 100%.

      • sunny says:

        Me too! I used to like Johnny as he was a spectacular actor but when Amber came out with her experiences of abuse I could never engage with his work again.

        Congrats to her on her motherhood! Such happy news.

  4. Lily P says:

    Ah congratulations, such a beautiful name too. Complete vanity comment but she’s given me hair envy!

    • Dierski says:

      +1 hair envy here too, haha

      Congratulations to her!! It is lovely to see how she has moved on in her life, how peaceful and happy she seems, and now has a growing family. Good for her!

  5. Golly Gee says:

    She has really been through it and continues to have to go through it with that SOB Depp. I’m glad she has this joy in her life. Imagine if she had been foolish enough to have a child with him. He would have used that to punish her until the child was an adult.

    • nina says:

      +1. She dodged a bullet on that one. I shudder to think the horror she would’ve had to deal with if she did have child with him.

  6. Sandy says:

    There are such amazing Irish names out there. My personal fav is Angharad. Trying to get my husband on board for that but he’s resisting 😂.
    Glad she got her baby.

  7. Lady D says:

    Congrats to Amber, I’m happy for her.

  8. Lady Luna says:

    I’m so happy for her!! People are so quick to tell you that she abused Depp’s mental health. It must be really hard to have to deal with these trolls all the time. I hope she gets her justice soon.

    • Still_Sarah says:

      @ Lady Luna : I tend to question those Depp stories that vilify her. Depp was so problematic for decades before he met her. There were blink-and-you-missed-it engagements to It Girl actresses and models (six times) plus so many trashed high-end hotel rooms. Vanessa Paradis and fatherhood was supposed to have “tamed” him. And now there are stories that Depp is uninsurable for movies due to drinking and drug issues. I’m happy for Amber and her new baby.

  9. lucy2 says:

    Congrats to her!

  10. Sigmund says:

    I’m happy for her. She deserves to be happy.

  11. Serena says:

    Congrats, I’m happy for her? How do you pronounce the baby’s name though?

  12. Katherine says:

    Aww the baby is so cute! Happy for her! Would absolutely do the same if I had the budget. The name is lovely and while the spelling is complicated, it sounds so pretty (if I’m pronouncing it right)

  13. Ines says:

    Love the name, not the spelling. I prefer the simpler “Una”. Congratulations to Amber, she deserves happiness after everything she’s been through.

    • Humbugged says:

      I prefer Agnes to Ines but thats just me

      IOW – Una might be good in the Latin languages but Oognah is Celtic lets just stick too our own languages and not nitpick about names.

      • Alyse says:

        Una is also a Scottish and Irish name.

      • Humbugged says:

        Alyse

        Sorry about that .Mainly it is down to me being pissed off with a lot of posters on here due to the Dumbarton nonsence from last week and the ‘ha ha you should just change it because we in the US find it strange’

      • Pamplemousse says:

        Una is also old Norse and is used in the Scandinavian countries.

      • Ines says:

        @humbugged, four things:
        1- the post asked specifically what we thought of the name, I gave my answer. No need for you to take it personally and insult my name.
        2- in my language, Agnes sounds so bad that my brother used to call me that when he bullied me.
        3- Agnes is pronounced differently to Ines (see point above) so your example is not even valid. I simply suggested a different spelling to the name, not a totally different sounding name.
        4- “lets just stick too (sic) our own languages”, is what I was actually doing. I was speaking from the perspective of a Spanish speaker, so I find Una easier to read. Please try to be more inclusive.

  14. Christina says:

    The comments over on Instagram on the news outlets that reported on this story are absolutely disgusting. The vast majority say: “poor baby”. It is incredible what this poor woman goes through.

  15. Calibration says:

    Congratulations! Oonah is a lovely name. One of my favs

    • Voominvava says:

      If you’re a parent of a child around 10 or under …you’ll know Oona is a bubble guppie and she’s adorable too.

      Congrats to Amber. I too was a Depp fan since 21 jump street but had no trouble believing Ambers’ story. The press is awful to her.

  16. Justjj says:

    There is this really adorable (I mean, it’s so cute, I would watch it on my own long after my toddler lost interest) Irish kids show called Puffin Rock and the main protagonist puffin’s name is Oonagh. It’s seriously the cutest! And the animation is beautiful. Love this for her and +1 for not needing a ring to become a mother and normalizing the many different paths to motherhood.

  17. Robyn says:

    Mazel tov! That’s a gorgeous pic of Amber and her daughter.

  18. The Artist Formerly Known as Valiantly Varnished says:

    Im happy for her. And happy that she was able to keep it quiet for as long as she did. As for the “friend”. Please. No friend would ever talk like that and certainly wouldn’t go and spill to Page Six about it. Glad that she was able to talk about it on her own terms before it leaked. And also…the Depp stans need to get a life. The amount of vitriol thrown at this woman is disgusting and just proves how alive and well misogyny is.

  19. Kaitx says:

    I love the name, but I’m a bit biased. My mum is called Oonagh and it’s my daughters middle name!

    • The Artist Formerly Known as Valiantly Varnished says:

      It’s a gorgeous name. I’ve always loved the name Oona. I’m assuming Oonagh is same just with different spelling?

  20. Lunasf17 says:

    Congrats to her! It’s good to talk about fertility issues but also most women don’t have access to surrogates and other fertility treatments because of the cost. It’s great some people have those options but for most women it’s not. I just wish we did a better job of recognizing that all women deserve fertility assistance but only the wealthiest can usually afford it and we need to talk about that as well. Im sure more women would have families in less traditional ways if it was an option for them.

    • Kkat says:

      A friend of mine has been a surrogate a couple times.
      It’s expensive because medical is covered for the surrogate, usually at a fertility clinic.
      Other expenses, like organic diet ect.
      Also for the last one, a sibling for the first, she had to be on total bedrest for almost the whole pregnancy.
      So she couldn’t work at all.
      So there are living expenses, and compensation for recovery and putting her life on hold for a year.

      It’s a beautiful thing, but no it’s not cheap. You are putting another person’s life on hold for a year.

      Fertility treatments should absolutely be available to people easier.

  21. nicegirl says:

    Amazing news! I’m loving the baby! What a tiny doll! Congratulations to Amber! Oonagh Paige is a lovely name.

    Bring on the babies!

  22. Queen Meghan's Hand says:

    I am so so happy for her! Yay for queer single mommies.
    Can someone reply with a phonetic spelling of Oonagh? I am not familiar with Irish names.

    • Lola says:

      It’s like OO-na. There is this amazing website called Forvo that has audio of the pronunciations of a huge number of words in dozens of languages. If you google “forvo oonagh” you can hear a native speaker pronounce the name.

    • Justjj says:

      It’s pronounced like Uno, the card game or the Spanish number 1, but with a very gentle, breathy and then closed ‘uh’ instead of a long o sound. So kind of like Una but with a more rounded ‘Ooo’ that’s a half beat longer than the U in Una. So Oognagh, said fast, sounds almost exactly the same as ‘Una’ but is slightly different sounding.

  23. Ann says:

    I love the name and her hair is too beautiful. Forget the haters.

  24. Lila says:

    Congrats to Amber. That is a lovely, unique name. And the pronunciation is pretty intuitive (which as someone with an uncommonly spelled name, I appreciate!). Such a gorgeous family photo!

  25. MK says:

    What a wonderful news. She has gone through too much during the past year, including her mother’s death. A new baby is a new beginning.
    And for those Depp supporters, he will lose the next case too and they will be still screaming he is innocent because they think all what he claims, although unproven, is the truth. DARVO

  26. Elaine Stritch says:

    Didn’t love her reference to having a child one of the “fundamental part of our destinies” as women…. wtf

    • Mcmmom says:

      I think you may have misread her comment. I took it to mean that the decision whether to have a child – or not – and how to go about doing that should be a fundamental right for all women, but taking matters into one’s own hands is considered radical, when it shouldn’t be radical at all. I think she meant that in a very pro-woman, pro-autonomy way.

  27. Roo says:

    Oonagh is my 5yo’s name so I’m obviously a huge fan <3

    So happy for her.

  28. Decca says:

    Love the name Oonagh! Gorgeous!