Keira Knightley has lengthy been a beloved determine in Hollywood, celebrated for her expertise and magnificence in rewatchable movies like Satisfaction and Prejudice and Atonement. Nonetheless, along with her rise to stardom within the early 2000s got here an intense degree of public scrutiny in direction of the younger actress. A lot of this centered round her bodily look and physique. Now, the Pirates of the Caribbean star is getting candid in regards to the challenges she confronted whereas navigating persistent rumors about her well being, significantly allegations that she had an consuming dysfunction.
The Start Once more star spoke to The Sunday Instances, at which period she mirrored on beginning out in Hollywood and performing in some huge motion pictures early on in her profession. Whereas she was celebrated for her success at such a younger age, this got here with a number of media consideration that wasn’t all the time constructive. Rumors about her weight notably accompanied conversations about her large appearing abilities, and it emotionally affected her, as she defined. The now-39-year-old star stated of the consuming dysfunction accusations:
I knew I wasn’t. I knew I used to be consuming. … In that basic trauma approach I don’t bear in mind it. There’s been an entire delete, after which some issues will come up and I’ll all of the sudden have a really bodily reminiscence of it as a result of, finally, it’s public shaming, isn’t it? It’s clearly a part of my psyche, given how younger I used to be when it occurred. I’ve been made round it.
Keira Knightley’s feedback spotlight the darker aspect of fame, particularly when it’s achieved at such a younger age. The Anna Karenina star was youthful than some might understand when she broke by way of as a buzzy new starlet. Satisfaction and Prejudice, Bend It Like Beckham, the primary Pirates film and Love, Truly had been made earlier than she turned 20. Knightley was nonetheless an adolescent when these conversations had been occurring within the press, which might be extremely damaging for a younger girl. In her interview, she even famous that it was traumatic, as her reminiscence of the state of affairs is hazy due to the trauma.
The state of affairs partly led to the British actress being recognized with PTSD, which made her take a yr off from appearing when she was 22. Fortunately, she had a robust assist system round her to assist her navigate that point interval and the psychological well being ramifications of fame and media scrutiny at such a younger age.
In the end, the Colette star returned to appearing and continues working as we speak. She additionally famous in her latest interview that psychological well being wasn’t as broadly talked about as it’s now and the way issues like rehab and celeb struggles had been typically handled as items of gossip somewhat than precise concern. She conveyed that by discussing a state of affairs from years in the past, which concerned her being requested about Mary-Kate Olsen going to rehab for anorexia-related therapy:
I bear in mind viscerally one of many Olsen twins had anorexia, and he or she went right into a clinic. I bear in mind being requested about it on a press tour, prefer it was a joke. She was meant to be shamed for looking for assist for anorexia. I bear in mind sitting there simply being like, ‘Wow, that is wild.’ Are you able to think about? … That made me actually emotional. That’s not even about me, it’s about her. I nonetheless can’t bear it.
Whereas Keira Knightley did not have an consuming dysfunction herself, it is evident that public conversations about her physique nonetheless led to critical psychological well being ramifications. Her openness to have this dialog is extremely courageous. It additionally speaks to the will of stars (significantly younger ladies, on this case) to not have their our bodies be matters of public dialogue.
Followers can see Keira Knightley in her new thriller sequence Black Doves, which can be accessible with a Netflix subscription when it premieres on December fifth, 2024. You may as well learn up on and hunt down Knightley’s finest motion pictures.