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Keira Knightley has long been a beloved figure in Hollywood, celebrated for her talent and elegance in rewatchable films like Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. However, with her rise to stardom in the early 2000s came an intense level of public scrutiny towards the young actress. Much of this centered around her physical appearance and physique. Now, the Pirates of the Caribbean star is getting candid about the challenges she faced while navigating persistent rumors about her health, particularly allegations that she had an eating disorder.
The Begin Again star spoke to The Sunday Times, at which time she reflected on starting out in Hollywood and performing in some big movies early on in her career. While she was celebrated for her success at such a young age, this came with a lot of media attention that wasn’t always positive. Rumors about her weight notably accompanied conversations about her tremendous acting talents, and it emotionally affected her, as she explained. The now-39-year-old star said of the eating disorder accusations:
I knew I wasn’t. I knew I was eating. … In that classic trauma way I don’t remember it. There’s been a complete delete, and then some things will come up and I’ll suddenly have a very bodily memory of it because, ultimately, it’s public shaming, isn’t it? It’s obviously part of my psyche, given how young I was when it happened. I’ve been made around it.
Keira Knightley’s comments highlight the darker side of fame, especially when it’s achieved at such a young age. The Anna Karenina star was younger than some may realize when she broke through as a buzzy new starlet. Pride and Prejudice, Bend It Like Beckham, the first Pirates movie and Love, Actually were made before she turned 20. Knightley was still a teenager when these conversations were happening in the press, which can be incredibly damaging for a young woman. In her interview, she even noted that it was traumatic, as her memory of the situation is hazy because of the trauma.
The situation partly led to the British actress being diagnosed with PTSD, which made her take a year off from acting when she was 22. Thankfully, she had a strong support system around her to help her navigate that time period and the mental health ramifications of fame and media scrutiny at such a young age.
Ultimately, the Colette star returned to acting and continues working today. She also noted in her recent interview that mental health wasn’t as broadly talked about as it is now and how things like rehab and celebrity struggles were often treated as pieces of gossip rather than actual concern. She conveyed that by discussing a situation from years ago, which involved her being asked about Mary-Kate Olsen going to rehab for anorexia-related treatment:
I remember viscerally one of the Olsen twins had anorexia, and she went into a clinic. I remember being asked about it on a press tour, like it was a joke. She was meant to be shamed for seeking help for anorexia. I remember sitting there just being like, ‘Wow, this is wild.’ Can you imagine? … That made me really emotional. That’s not even about me, it’s about her. I still can’t bear it.
While Keira Knightley didn’t have an eating disorder herself, it’s evident that public conversations about her body still led to serious mental health ramifications. Her openness to have this conversation is incredibly brave. It also speaks to the desire of stars (particularly young women, in this case) to not have their bodies be topics of public discussion.
Fans can see Keira Knightley in her new thriller series Black Doves, which will be available with a Netflix subscription when it premieres on December 5th, 2024. You can also read up on and seek out Knightley’s best movies.