Keira Knightley Reveals How She Hid a Mental Breakdown Early in Her Career

Keira Knightley has opened up about the struggles she faced as a young actor, revealing how the pressure of fame affected her mental health. In an interview with The Times, the star shared how the early years of her career were far from easy.

After her profile rose, Knightley says she often found men outside her homes, trying to take photos of her.

To cope, she split her time between two houses and started wearing the same few outfits on repeat. She knew that if she was photographed in the same clothes as the day before, the pictures wouldn’t be worth much.

“I did go mad,” Keira admits. “Believe me. I went mad. I just managed to hide it.”

The actor explained that some of the men outside would shout insults like “wh**” and “sl**”, especially if she was with someone, a boyfriend, her brother, or her dad. She says they were trying to get a reaction so they could provoke people into hitting them and then sue. Over time, this constant harassment left her feeling trapped and started to take a serious toll on her mental health.

“You start worrying you’re going mad, like, ‘Were they really following me, or was I imagining it?’” Knightley said. “So then you’d buy all the papers — and every single time I was right. There would be a photo. Even if I hadn’t actually seen them. Because you’re in a hyper-vigilant state.”

The experience affected her career choices as well. Knightley said it led her to focus on smaller, more intimate theatre roles instead of big Hollywood blockbusters.

Today, Knightley is in a much better place. She recently released a new children’s book, I Love You Just The Same, which she both wrote and illustrated herself. She is also starring in the Netflix thriller The Woman in Cabin 10.