Keira Knightley Says ‘I Was Seen as S—‘ Due to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Taken Down Publicly’; She Won’t Do More Franchises: ‘You Have No Control’ Over ‘What You’re Filming’

variety.com:

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Keira Knightley said in an interview with The Times of London that she has erased from her memory the “public shaming” she endured from the press amid breakout global game during the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy.

The Oscar nominee was just 17 years old when she debuted as Elizabeth Swann in 2003’s “Curse of the Black Pearl.” Two “Pirates” sequels followed: 2006’s “Dead Man’s Chest” and 2007’s “At World’s End.” The “Pirates” franchise was enormously successful, with “Dead Man’s Chest” setting records at the time for fastest movie to gross $1 billion worldwide and becoming the third highest-grossing film in history.

But it also led to the tabloid press hounding Knightley and rampant speculation from the media that she was suffering from an eating disorder due to her thin frame. “In that classic trauma way I don’t remember it,” Knightley told The Times. “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 she was “unbelievably lucky” to have “an incredibly loving” support system of family, friends and “lovely boyfriends” to help her offset the press’ bullying.