Following her role in the film "Pirates of the Caribbean," Keira Knightley has disclosed that she experienced feelings of being "stalked by men" and confronted with "rape speak" when she was a teenager.
According to Daily Mail, the Oscar contender, who is now 39 years old, described the culture of Hollywood in the 2000s as "a very violent, misogynistic atmosphere." She was blamed for the aggressive and invasive interest that men had in her during that period.
Ms. Knightley's roles in the first installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series and in "Love Actually" made her popular at only 17 years old.
However, the British celebrity has admitted that her amazing success came at a "big cost" and that it was "very brutal to have your privacy taken away in your teenage years, early 20s." She also stated that she was "very upset" about the situation.
Per CBR, she said regarding the male attention she experienced during her early years of fame: "My jaw dropped at the time. I didn't think it was OK. 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."
She added: "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."
Ms. Knightley also commented on her plot's "slightly stalkerish aspect" in the Christmas favorite "Love Actually" from 2003. In this scene, the character, Andrew Lincoln, shows up at her doorway with cue cards to declare his love for her.
She added that while filming the sequence, director Richard Curtis warned her that she was gazing at Lincoln "like he's creepy." She also recalled having to "redo it to fix my face to make him seem not creepy."
She added: "I mean, there was a creep factor at the time, right? Also, I knew I was 17. It only seems like a few years ago that everybody else realised I was 17."
Ms. Knightley has not been seen in a live-action television role for over twenty years, but she currently appears in the British spy thriller series "Black Doves" on Netflix. The series also stars Sarah Lancashire, known for her part in "Happy Valley," and Ben Whishaw, known for his role in "Paddington."
She said about the new role: "My teenage self is thrilled with this. Sometimes you have to listen to your teenage self and go, 'This one's for you.' I think she would have found this very cool."
The findings prompted a furious outpouring of responses on the internet.
"Keira is so brave for speaking out. Hollywood in the 2000s sounds horrifying!" one netizen said.
"It's time we stop romanticizing Love Actually's cue card scene. Keira is right," another one said.
"Men blaming her for their own creepy behavior? Disgusting but sadly not surprising," a third chimed in.
"How did we not realise how young she was? Hollywood exploited her youth," a fourth person said.
"This makes me see Pirates of the Caribbean in a new light. Poor Keira!" a fan wrote.
"Another reason to support women in Hollywood. Their stories need to be heard!" another said.
Business Times has reached out to Keira Knightley for comments.
