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Keira Knightley: Every woman I know has been flashed, groped or sexually harassed

The 36-year-old British actor says the situation is ‘f*****g depressing’

Peony Hirwani
Tuesday 08 June 2021 08:12 BST
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Keira Knightley opens up about mental health struggles

Keira Knightley has said that she “literally” doesn’t know anyone who hasn’t been sexually harassed in some way or another.

In an interview with the Harper’s Bazaar magazine, the 36-year-old British actor said the situation is “f*****g depressing.”

“Literally, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been, in some way, whether it’s being flashed at or groped, or some guy saying they’re going to slit your throat, or punching you in the face, or whatever it is, everybody has,” she said.

“It was when women started listing all the precautions they take when they walk home to make sure they’re safe, and I thought, ‘I do every single one of them, and I don’t even think about it,’” she added.

In January 2021, the Pride & Prejudice actor also spoke about her issues with filming nude scenes in the internet age. She said she will not do them any longer in case they end up “on some porn site.”

The actor was discussing how having children has changed her professional life when she made the comments in an interview with the Financial Times.

Keira Knightley Talks Posing Topless, Ridiculous Critiques of Women s Bodies

“The nipples droop,” she said. “I always felt completely comfortable doing it when I was younger. I never did anything that I didn’t feel comfortable doing. I’m really happy with my body. It’s done an amazing thing. But I also don’t want to stand there in front of a whole film crew.”

“It used to be that you’d do a sex scene in isolation with the film, and it would make sense. And maybe a crappy paper would put it somewhere but, ultimately, that would be it. But now, you can take the whole thing and put it in a completely different thing, and it’s on some porn site,” she added.

Knightley also told the Chanel Connects podcast, according to Metro: “I don’t want it to be those horrible sex scenes where you’re all greased up and everybody is grunting. I’m not interested in doing that.”

“I feel very uncomfortable now trying to portray the male gaze. Saying that, there are times where I go, ‘Yeah, I completely see where this sex would be really good in this film and you basically just need somebody to look hot’.”

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