Keira Knightley recalls the “trauma” of constant speculation she had an eating disorder

Keira Knightley reflects on her younger years in the spotlight.

In an interview with The times published on Saturday, November 23rd pride and Prejudice Star, 39, opened up about what it was like dealing with constant speculation about her weight early in her career and claimed she had an eating disorder.

“I knew I wasn’t dealing with an eating disorder. I knew I was eating,” she said, adding that she has since blocked out much of that experience. “In that classic trauma way, I don’t remember it,” she said.

“There was a complete erasure, and then a few things come up and I suddenly have a very physical memory of it, because at the end of the day it’s a public shaming, isn’t it?” the actress continued. “It’s obviously part of my psyche considering how young I was when it happened. I’m made for this.”

The mother of two noted that the press typically lacks empathy when dealing with stars with eating disorders, recalling a time when Mary-Kate Olsen – who entered rehab for an eating disorder in 2004 – was publicly ridiculed.

“I remember one of the Olsen twins was internally suffering from anorexia and she went to a clinic. I remember being asked about it on a press tour like it was a joke. She should be shamed for seeking help for her anorexia,” she said Actually love said the actress.

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“I remember sitting there thinking, ‘Wow, this is wild.’ Can you imagine that? She continued, sharing that the moment made her “really emotional,” even though it wasn’t about her. “I still can’t take it,” she said.

In 2018, Knightley revealed that she suffered a “mental breakdown” at the age of 22 and shared that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder due to her rapid rise to fame The Hollywood Reporter Awards Chatter Podcast.

“I was really into therapy and all that, and (a therapist) said, ‘It’s amazing – I usually come here and I have people who think that people are talking about them and think that they’re being persecuted, but in reality they are “Aren’t you the first person this has actually happened to!” she told the host.

The actress has also previously spoken about her struggles with fame. In 2023, she revealed that she had “never felt comfortable” with how she was perceived in films pirates of the Caribbean when speaking with Harper’s Bazaar UK.

“I felt very restricted. I felt very stuck,” she recalled, noting that her character in the Pirates Franchise was an “object of everyone’s desire”. She then added that “the roles after that were about breaking out of that.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please visit NationalEatingDisorders.org.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.