Keira Knightley reflects on the challenges she faced during her rise to fame in her early 20s. The actress shares insights on how public scrutiny affected her life and career, highlighting the intensified pressures young women face today due to social media.

  • Keira Knightley opens up
  • She spoke on the early fame's challenges
  • She also highlighted the impact on young stars

Keira Knightley on Public Scrutiny

Keira Knightley, an Oscar-nominated actress, recently shared her experiences dealing with the darker aspects of fame during her early career.

In an interview with the 'Los Angeles Times', she recalled being "stalked" in her 20s. Knightley, who gained international recognition at 18 for her roles in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' and 'Love Actually,' faced intense public scrutiny and body-shaming.

She described the experience as "very brutal" and acknowledged the cost of having her privacy invaded during a pivotal time in her life.

"It’s very brutal to have your privacy taken away in your teenage years, early 20s, and to be put under that scrutiny at a point when you are still growing," Knightley said.

"Having said that, I wouldn’t have the financial stability or the career that I do now without that period. I had a five-year period between the age of 17 and 21-ish, and I’m never going to have that kind of success again. It totally set me up for life. Did it come at a cost? Yes, it did. It came at a big cost."

The actress reflected on the pressures of being in the spotlight at a young age. Knightley noted that her success between the ages of 17 and 21 was both a blessing and a burden. While it provided her with financial stability and a lasting career, it also exposed her to unwanted attention.

"My jaw dropped at the time," she said, expressing shock over how people treated her. The actress described the atmosphere as "violent" and "misogynistic," with some individuals suggesting she desired the attention. This period was particularly challenging for her as a young woman in the public eye.

"I didn’t think it was OK at the time," she explained. "I was very clear on it being absolutely shocking. There was an amount of gaslighting to be told by a load of men that ‘you wanted this.’ It was rape speak. You know, ‘This is what you deserve.’ It was a very violent, misogynistic atmosphere."

"They very specifically meant I wanted to be stalked by men. Whether that was stalking because somebody was mentally ill, or because people were earning money from it — it felt the same to me. It was a brutal time to be a young woman in the public eye."

Knightley also commented on how social media has exacerbated these issues for young women today. She believes that platforms have created a new context for public shaming, which can be damaging to teenage girls. "Social media has put that in a whole other context," she explained, emphasizing the lasting impact on young women.

Knightley pointed out that fame often equates to public shaming, a phenomenon that many teenagers struggle to endure. Reflecting on her career, she acknowledged the dual nature of her success, which both elevated and challenged her.

Last month, the 'Atonement' star reflected on her time making the Pirates films, where she starred opposite Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. While she credits the franchise for helping establish her name in Hollywood, she also cites the films’ popularity as "the reason that I was taken down publicly."

"It’s a funny thing when you have something that was making and breaking you at the same time," Knightley said of the franchise at the time.

Also interesting:

"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."