Keira Knightley. Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Keira Knightley is still processing the harsh treatment she received when she became a household name in the early 2000s. After a small part in The Phantom Menace, Knightley’s career took off at just 18 with standout roles in Bend It Like Beckham, Love Actually, and Pirates of the Caribbean. But the fame came with significant challenges, especially as she found herself relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi and under intense public scrutiny.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, the now 39-year-old actress recalled how overwhelming the attention was. "My jaw dropped at the time," she said. "I didn’t think it was okay. It was absolutely shocking." Knightley explained that many men in the industry tried to convince her that she had brought it on herself, a sentiment she compared to "rape speak," implying she deserved the invasion of privacy.
Reflecting on the toxic environment she experienced, Knightley described it as "violent" and "misogynistic," where the press seemed to assume she welcomed being followed by strangers, whether out of obsession or for profit. "It felt the same to me," she said, recalling how it was a harsh time to be a young woman in the spotlight.
The pressure intensified as she starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels and the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination. "It’s very brutal to have your privacy taken away when you’re still growing," she admitted. "But I wouldn’t have the career I have now without that period. It was a huge stepping stone, but it did come at a cost."
Keira Knightley in 'Pirates of the Caribbean' in 2003. Photo: Walt Disney/Everett Collection
Knightley has been open about how the weight of fame affected her mental health, revealing she suffered a breakdown in 2007, at age 22. That year, she also won a lawsuit against The Daily Mail after the publication falsely reported that she had an eating disorder.
Looking at today’s social media-driven culture, Knightley feels that things have only gotten worse, especially for young women and teenage girls. "Social media has put fame in a whole other context," she said, noting the harmful impact it has on adolescents. "Fame is ultimately about being publicly shamed, and many teenage girls don’t survive that."
Given her own experiences, Knightley is reluctant to let her two daughters, whom she shares with musician James Righton, pursue public careers until they’re older. "Could I, in good conscience, tell my kid, 'You should do that?' No," she said. "But am I grateful for it? Yes. That’s life."
For now, her daughters have their own ambitions, including owning a candy shop and, in one case, wanting to be a bear—a career path Knightley humorously doubts will work out.
