Who Is Samantha McMillen? New Details On Amber Heard's Stylist — And Why She Took Johnny Depp's Side
She took Johnny Depp's side against Amber Heard.
Canvas Amber Heard has been loudly proclaiming that her ex-husband Johnny Depp gave her two black eyes during an argument on December 15, 2015. Depp has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife. Now, Heard's stylist Samantha McMillen has found herself in the middle of that lawsuit. McMillen testified in the case saying: "I saw her throughout the day of December 16, 2015, in good light, at close range, wearing no makeup. I could see clearly that Amber Heard did not have any visible marks, bruises, cuts, or injuries to her face or any other part of her body." Oh snap! McMillen has been Heard's stylist since 2014. She's been Johnny's stylist even longer. Her testimony is key in Depp's defamation lawsuit against his ex. Who is Samantha McMillen?
1. She has worked with evvvvverrrrybody
Samantha McMillen launched her career as a stylist in 2001. Since then she's worked with not just Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, she has worked with Chris Hemsworth, Ryan Gosling, Brie Larson, Chris Rock, the Fanning sisters — Elle and Dakota, just to name a few. She has worked on collaborations and campaigns with Gucci, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Kiehls, Tiffany & Co, and 24 Hour Fitness, among many others. Her work has appeard in GQ, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Instyle, L’uomo Vogue, Men’s Journal, Rolling Stone, and Men’s Fitness.
2. She was in PR first
Before Samantha McMillen launched her successful styling career, she was in public relations in the fashion industry. She worked for designers Richard Tyler and Giorgio Armani. In 2017, she was named Men's Stylist of the Year and she spoke to The Daily Front Row about her days in public relations: "He’s an absolute genius. I was technically the PR person, but it was a small company, so we all did everything. That’s where I got a feel for the celebrity world—the publicists, the managers, the assistants, and the delicacy that comes with working with celebrities. Then I went to Armani. When I left, I would produce and style fashion shows until I honed in on what I was really interested in."
3. Fashion has always been her thing
Samantha McMillen has wanted to be in the fashion industry since she was a little girl. “When I was a kid, my treat for doing housework was to pick out clothes to be made for my Barbies. My goal was to be a fashion editor, because that’s all I knew that existed in the world of fashion, other than being a designer or working in a store. Once I realized that styling existed, I thought maybe I’d be good at it," she told The Daily Front Row.
4. Red carpet moments
McMillen gets to style Hollywood stars for photo shoots and film premieres and has had hundreds, if not thousands, of looks make their way down the red carpet. Evan Rachel Wood, Dakota Fanning and Brie Larson have all been styled for the red carpet by McMillen. But none of those are her absolute favorite look. Instead, her favorite red carpet styling job was for a decidedly more campy look. “Years ago, I did Ben Stiller for the Zoolander tour,” she said, “so I was doing both Ben and [his character] Derek. I had to style one human and two personalities with two takes on fashion. That had me on my toes!”
5. Controversial views
We will get to her defense of Johnny Depp in a moment. First, it should be mentioned that Depp isn't the first controversial person McMillen has defended. In 2015, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana faced backlash when they called children conceived via insemination "synthetic." Stefano said: "The only family is the traditional one." Gabbana, his partner and former lover, said: "Life has its natural course, there are things that must not be changed. And one of these is the family.” The calls for a boycott were immediate and led by Elton John. Samantha commented that the comments put her in a "weird place." She told Page Six: "I don’t really know what to do at the moment. “I’ll respect whatever my clients want to do.” She also said she believes in second chances.
6. Her defense of Johnny Depp
Amber Heard has accused her ex-husband Johnny Depp of beating her to the point where she had two black eyes. Depp is suing Heard for defamation to the tune of $50 million and has summoned his stylist of over 20 years (and Heard's since 2014) as a witness. According to Samantha McMillen's memory and testimony, Heard's claims just don't ring true. According to court documents, McMillen testified: “On December 16, 2015, I spent much of the day and evening with Amber Heard, preparing her to appear on the James Corden show. I saw her throughout the day of December 16, 2015, in good light, at close range, wearing no makeup. Throughout the day of December 16, 2015, I could see clearly that Amber Heard did not have any visible marks, bruises, cuts, or injuries to her face or any other part of her body. She appeared as a guest on the James Corden show that day. After the show, Ms. Heard said to me ‘can you believe I just did that show with two black eyes?’ Ms. Heard did not have any black eyes, and had been visibly uninjured throughout the day and at that moment. I later learned that Ms. Heard had accused Johnny Depp, in court filings and the media, of violently abusing her the previous night, December 15, 2015.”
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.