Keira Knightley got candid on the hard time she faced over her body image while and after starring in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
In an interview with The Times of London, the Oscar-nominated actress revealed that she has largely erased from her memory the “public shaming” she endured during that period.
Knightley was just 17 when she starred as Elizabeth Swann in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
The film’s massive success led to two sequels, Dead Man’s Chest in 2006 and At World’s End in 2007.
While the franchise was a major box office hit, the fame also brought intense media scrutiny. Knightley faced harsh criticism from the press, including speculation about her weight and unfounded accusations of having an eating disorder.
“In that classic trauma way, I don’t remember it,” Knightley told The Times.
“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.”
Despite the challenges, Knightley said she was “unbelievably lucky” to have a strong support system, including her family, friends, and “lovely boyfriends,” which helped her cope with the bullying from the press.
However, the scrutiny over her weight often came up during interviews, sometimes in shocking ways.
“I remember viscerally one of the Olsen twins had anorexia, and she went into a clinic,” Knightley said.
“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 Knightley’s career later included acclaimed roles in films like Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, which earned her an Oscar nomination, she reflected on the complicated impact of the Pirates franchise.
“It’s a funny thing when you have something that was making and breaking you at the same time,” Knightley said.
“I was seen as shit because of them, and yet because they did so well I was given the opportunity to do the films that I ended up getting Oscar nominations for. They were the most successful films I’ll ever be a part of, and they were the reason that I was taken down publicly. So they’re a very confused place in my head.”
