Keira Knightley recalls 'public shaming' she endured amid claims that she suffered from eating disorder

LONDON, ENGLAND: Keira Knightley has opened up about the intense "public shaming" and "classic trauma" she endured because of her weight and body during her early days in the spotlight.

The 39-year-old 'Pride & Prejudice' actress spoke candidly about her early career experiences with persistent weight-related rumors and accusations of an eating disorder in an interview with The Times, published on Saturday, November 23.

Keira Knightley recounts 'trauma' of eating disorder accusation

Even though Keira Knightley claimed to be aware that she did not have an eating disorder because she "was eating," the criticism of her appearance was still very upsetting.

Describing the almost constant rumors that she suffered from an eating disorder as "traumatic," Knightley said, "I knew I wasn't [dealing with an eating disorder]. I knew I was eating."

"In that classic trauma way I don’t remember it," she told the outlet because she has since mostly forgotten about the incident.

The actress added: "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," Knightley said, per People.

Knightley recalled one instance in particular when the criticism reached a fever pitch following reports that fellow actress Mary-Kate Olsen checked herself into a residential rehabilitation program in 2004 to treat an eating disorder.

The press ridiculed and chastised the Olsen twin for tackling and treating the problem, rather than applauding and supporting the issue.

The 'Atonement' actress said, "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."

Knightley explained that she considered the coverage "wild" at the time. "I remember sitting there just being like, ‘Wow, this is wild'. Can you imagine?" she said, adding that although it wasn't about her, the incident made her "really emotional."

"That made me really emotional. That’s not even about me, it’s about her. I still can’t bear it," she added.

Despite being criticized by the press in her twenties, Knightley admitted to having a great support system. "The unbelievably lucky thing was I come from an incredibly loving background and I always had really nice boyfriends. I had lovely, lovely boyfriends," she said, per The Independent.

Keira Knightley revealed having 'mental breakdown' at the age of 22

While on 'The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter' podcast in 2018, Keira Knightley revealed that she had a "mental breakdown" at the age of 22 and that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her rapid rise to fame.

Knightley became internationally famous for her roles in 'Love Actually', 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and 'Bend It Like Beckham'.

Regarding the strain of her early success, she stated, "I did take a year off there and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of all of that stuff."

"I felt pretty much like actually I didn’t exist and I was this weird creature with this weird face that people seemed to respond to in quite an extreme way, and I couldn’t quite figure any of it out," she added.

Knightley told the host of the podcast: "I went deep into therapy and all of that, and [a therapist] said, ‘It’s amazing — I normally come in here and have people that think people are talking about them and they think that they’re being followed, but actually they’re not. You’re the first person that actually that is happening to!'"

The actress previously discussed her difficulties with fame in March 2023 and how she battled the expectations placed on her after becoming famous at the age of 17.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar UK in 2023, she disclosed that she "never felt comfortable" with the way she was portrayed in films such as 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

"I had quite an entrance into adult life, an extreme landing because of the experience of fame at a very early age. There’s a funny place where women are meant to sit, publicly, and I never felt comfortable with that. It was a big jolt," she told Harper’s Bazaar UK.

Recalling that her character in the 'Pirates' franchise was an "object of everybody's lust," Knightley said, "I felt very constrained. I felt very stuck," adding that "the roles afterward were about trying to break out of that."