Keira Knightley Recalls the "Public Shaming" She Felt Over Eating Disorder Rumors

"It's obviously part of my psyche, given how young I was when it happened."

Trigger warning: This article contains mention of eating disorders. 

Keira Knightley is reflecting on the "public shaming" she experienced about her body early in her career. In a new interview with The Times published on Saturday, the actress opened up about the constant speculation over her weight and how the media accusing her of having an eating disorder still impacts her today. 

"I knew I wasn't [dealing with an eating disorder]. I knew I was eating," she said of the rumors at the time, adding that she's since blocked out much of the experience: "In that classic trauma way I don’t remember it."

"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?" Knightley continued. "It’s obviously part of my psyche, given how young I was when it happened. I’ve been made around it."

The Love, Actually star then recalled one particular incident that left her baffled, after it was reported Mary-Kate Olsen entered rehab to treat her own eating disorder. 

"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 said. "I remember sitting there just being like, ‘Wow, this is wild.’ Can you imagine?" 

She revealed that the moment made her "really emotional" despite the coverage focusing on someone else. "I still can't bear it," Knightley added.

Back in 2018, Knightley confessed that she had a "mental breakdown" when she was 22 years old due to her rapid rise to fame and the intense media coverage that ensued. 

"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," she said during an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast at the time. "You’re the first person that actually that is happening to!'"

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please go to NationalEatingDisorders.org or call (800) 931-2237.