Keira Knightley, the lead character in love Actually, is renowned all over the world for consistently making attractive appearances in the shows and movies she stars. She also made a name for herself in the Hollywood industry by playing Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Together with love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean was definitely a game changer for her because Keira Knightley appeared as the strong, intelligent, and appealing woman whom any man can fall in love with. With her charms and the worldwide popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean, she received overnight fame, becoming one of the greatest actresses in the Hollywood industry.
However, her fame does not seem to be well received by her mental health, and it all started when she developed PTSD. So, Here are some known facts that made Keira mentally sick and led her to suffer from PTSD.
Keira Knightley fell prey to people’s negative Opinions about her
Keira never failed to present herself flawlessly in movies and television shows, and she always aspired to be the ideal person in everyone’s eyes. She neglected to consider the numerous individuals who would criticize her and constantly attempt to undermine her.
When stars like Keira suddenly become well-known, many people keep an eye on them and are constantly looking for new details that could endanger their entire careers. Due to her fame, Keira Knightley was the subject of numerous judgments.
In an interview with the Awards Chatter Podcast, she admitted that, at the age of 17, when she had a very poor sense of who she was and was acting like any other adolescent, caring about what other people thought of her.
She also said that it is always about the group, and when the whole group turned against her, things changed, breaking down mentally. Also, when Keira got nominated for the Oscar award for the role of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, she received a severe backlash from people.
Even though she was nominated at the age of 19, people started criticizing her role and her Oscar nomination, even when she used to go for interviews. She also mentioned that even if her films and shows were gaining huge popularity, all she was hearing were criticisms that led her gradually toward trauma.
Constant Paparazzi Was Haunting Her
Paparazzi was one of the main causes that led Keira towards PTSD. While she was gaining popularity, earning love from fans but hearing opinions hypercritically from others, she was fully surrounded by paparazzi. Photographers who were thirsty of getting shocking photographs never left a chance to capture her tiniest moments to make them a piece of big news.
She claimed that between 20 and 30 photographers would frequently wait outside of her home for her to leave. She used to be completely encircled by them, and the constant noise of the crowd and camera flashes drove her insane.
She also said that cameramen used to use abominating words towards her, such as ‘whore’ to attract her attention and capture her reactions. Totally fed up by all of this, even the thought of leaving the house started haunting her.
She Took A Help Of Hypnotherapy To Stand Up On The Red Carpet
Considering Keira’s trauma because of all that was happening to her, she also started having panic attacks. She said in an interview with the Hollywood reporter that when she got nominated for her excellent role in Atonement, she did not leave her house for around three months.
She confessed to her agent that she wouldn’t be able to go for BAFTA as she is constantly having panic attacks and won’t be able to handle the paparazzi. However, she and her agent were aware of the fact that if she did not turn up to BAFTAs on the red carpet, she would drastically get impacted.
Therefore, she decided to make her appearance to BAFTAs but with the help of Hypnotherapy so that she could stand up on the red carpet facing the paparazzi on one side and criticisms on the other without having any panic attacks.
She Overjoyed The Process Of Healing
It is very disheartening to know that an outstanding actress like Keira had to face mental health problems since she was a teenager. Consequently, when she turned 22, she got diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and took a one-year break from Pirates of the Caribbean and Love Actually to focus on her severe mental health issue.
During her one-year break, she stopped acting for big-budget films and invested her time in her gradual healing toward mental wellness. She absolutely enjoyed her therapy and started feeling normal. She also said that it is wonderful to know that the whole world around her is going crazy, but there is someone like her who is dealing with all of it very well.
Keira’s mental health journey is a lesson that teaches us that even mental health problems can fully devastate a person. Hence, to find peace and harmony in the busy, noisy world, poor mental health should be cured with adequate treatment.
