Keira Knightley recalled the intense paparazzi harassment she endured at the zenith of her fame as a teenager, including photographers posting outside her home for days and shouting misogynistic profanities at her in hopes of provoking a reaction.
In a recent profile with THE Times United Kingdom, the Bend it like Beckham a former student discussed her rise to stardom, which overlapped with that of many other young female celebrities who faced often sexist and demeaning coverage in the tabloids, thus experiencing mental health episodes or substance abuse problems.
“I remember waking up one day and there were ten men outside my front door – and they didn’t leave for about five years,” she said, later adding: “Oh, I did go crazy. Believe me. I went crazy. I just managed to hide it.
When asked what the paparazzi would shout to get her attention, the Black doves The star said: “‘Fuck!’ Above all, she was a “whore”. ‘Bitch’ sometimes. Especially if I was with someone – a boyfriend, my brother or my dad. They were trying to get a reaction from them – by getting people to hit them so they could sue them. And that’s when the accidents started happening – they would force people off the roads and then make even more money for photos of some accident actress or whatever. And then Britney [Spears] shaved his head, so it was like, “Great, we can get them to do something fucking.” mad.’”
In an effort to foil photographers, Knightley said she would commute between two apartments; Later, however, even this idea was compromised as some rented an apartment across the street from hers, ensuring that she could not use the front of his without being detected.
“My dad said to me, ‘You should be in the CIA,’ because I knew when people followed me. It was a physical feeling,” she recounted. “And then, of course, you start worrying about going crazy, like, ‘Were they Really who was following me, or did I imagine it? So you would buy all the newspapers – and every time I was right. There would be be a photo. Even if I hadn’t done it seen them. Because you are in a state of hypervigilance. An increased state.
At one point, the actress said she opted for “passive resistance,” wearing identical clothes and not moving so the paparazzi photos would be “boring.”
She added: “I gave away all my other clothes. And then, if I was followed, I stopped walking. I would literally be stay there. Always in stock. One day I stood there for five o’clock. “If you’re still here, I’m not going.” I’m not going to move.’”
After this period, Knightley briefly stepped away from Hollywood to travel – miraculously, without being spotted. She returned to acting in smaller projects and on stage.
Currently, she can be seen in the recently released thriller on Netflix. The woman from cabin 10 and is currently filming the second season at the streamer Black doves.
