Why Keira Knightley Says She Went “Mad” Early in Her Career

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Keira Knightley isn’t ashamed of her hiatus from Hollywood.

The actress, known for her role in *Pirates of the Caribbean* and a rising star as a teenager, recently shared that the relentless attention from the paparazzi was incredibly stressful and almost overwhelming.

Keira recently admitted she struggled with the intense pressure of fame in the early 2000s. In an interview with *The Sunday Times* published on October 16th, she said, “I did go mad, believe me. I just managed to hide it.”

She recalled one morning finding ten men standing outside her house. They stayed there for almost five years.

Keira described how the paparazzi treated her badly in the early 2000s, often yelling insults and threatening her family.

I was shocked to hear Keira Knightley describe the awful abuse she faced. She said people would mostly yell ‘whore’ at her, sometimes ‘slut’. What was particularly disturbing was that it often happened when she was with family – a boyfriend, her brother, or even her dad. It turned out they were deliberately trying to provoke people into attacking them, hoping to then sue for damages. It’s just awful to think about the lengths they went to and the harassment she endured.

She explained that’s when the paparazzi incidents began. They would deliberately cause accidents to force celebrities off the road, and then sell photos of the resulting crashes for a lot of money. She specifically mentioned Britney Spears shaving her head, saying it felt like an opportunity to create even more sensational, and frankly, outrageous stories.

Keira revealed that the ongoing harassment from photographers was taking a toll on her well-being.

She explained that it started to make her question her sanity, wondering if the people she thought were following her were actually there or if it was all in her head. She began buying every newspaper, and each time, she discovered a photo proving she was right—even when she hadn’t consciously seen her pursuers. This, she said, was because she was constantly on high alert, in a state of extreme awareness.

Eventually, Keira found an unconventional way to stop the problem.

Keira explained to the *Sunday Times* that she dealt with unwanted attention by simply stopping what she was doing. “I just…stopped,” she said. She started wearing the same outfit every day – three pairs of jeans, a striped T-shirt, and boots – and gave away the rest of her clothes. If she felt like someone was following her, she would literally stop walking and stand perfectly still. Once, she stood motionless for five hours, making it clear she wouldn’t move until her pursuer gave up.

She eventually decided to leave the business, explaining that she simply reached a point where she knew she had to quit. Her family fully supported her decision, encouraging her to just walk away.

Keira eventually returned to acting regularly, having gained a fresh outlook on criticism and the entertainment industry.

She said that difficult experiences can really affect you deeply. But she also described having a way to shut down those feelings and find a strange satisfaction in knowing she could do that.

For more celebrity confessions, keep reading…

 
 

In June 2024, athlete Jason Kelce jokingly tweeted, “What kind of weirdo washes their feet…?” after a fan commented that he appeared to not wash his legs or feet.

The retired Philadelphia Eagles player later doubled down on his comments.

On his podcast, *New Heights* with his brother Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes joked, ‘Who would wash your feet?’ He continued, saying he’d only scrub off any visible dirt.

More than ten years after actor Kristen Stewart shared a story about witnessing a clown’s death in a car accident at the circus when he was a child, he confessed that the story was made up.

Robert remembered telling *The New York Times Style Magazine* in December 2024 that he reacted with complete surprise. He said he immediately asked, “What on earth? Are you possessed?”

As for what he said during the 2011 Today interview promoting his film Water for Elephants?

He explained that one of the clowns had died in an accident. Their small car exploded, and it was a very serious incident. Everyone panicked and ran to safety; it was a truly frightening experience.

Grandma knows best.

In an October 2022 episode of *The Kardashians*, Kim Kardashian shared a personal story about how her grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, unexpectedly played a role in a private moment with her then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

Kim Kardashian told MJ, Kris Jenner, and Khloe Kardashian that she and Pete Davidson were at the Beverly Hills Hotel when she remembered something her grandmother told her. She explained that her grandmother believed having sex in front of a fireplace was a way to truly enjoy life, so they decided to do it as a tribute to Kris.

Grandma’s reaction? A nod of approval.

Kim found it unsettling to think about her grandmother before being intimate, and MJ responded by saying she understood, but she hadn’t always been as mature.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have a very close family, including their children, 8-year-old Wyatt and 6-year-old Dimitri, and their love for each other is limitless.

So much so, that the Black Swan actress revealed they keep an open-door policy at home.

She told TopMob News in September 2022 that this also extends to the bathroom. She explained it’s simply become normal for her family and children to openly discuss and accept natural bodily functions.

Mila explained she finally gave in after her family repeatedly asked to come inside. She said she just decided to leave the door open rather than continue trying to keep them out.

Pre-kids, she might not have imagined she’d flush that particular boundary away.

She said she never imagined she’d be comfortable enough to use the restroom with the door open.

Ghouls just want to have fun.

During an October 2022 episode of *The View*, while discussing a woman who claimed her home was haunted by “sexual ghosts,” Sara Haines posed a surprising question to the panel: “Is it possible to get pregnant from a ghost?”

Luckily, Joy Behar, her co-host, chimed in with a humorous response: “I’ve had encounters with ghosts and have never gotten pregnant.”

“I’m going to leave that statement as is,” Whoopi Goldberg responded. “I’m not sure everyone heard what Joy said, but I’m not going to comment on it further.”

Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb are very close friends, but Hoda recently learned something surprising about her “Today” co-host. While preparing for an episode of “Today with Hoda and Jenna,” Hoda found out that Jenna always goes without underwear.

Hoda recalled a moment from a November 2022 episode of *Today with Hoda and Jenna* when they both realized they needed to return to the dressing room. She then playfully shared that she noticed Jenna doesn’t wear underwear.

Jenna’s rationale? Well, no underwear might just be more convenient to her.

She explained that the style creates a more flattering shape and also makes packing easier. She felt there were many benefits to choosing it.

Looks like someone hasn’t been keeping up.

Britney Spears related to a popular line from Keke Palmer – “He could be walking down the street, and I wouldn’t know a thing” – because she confessed she didn’t recognize Pete Davidson or Scott Disick.

Britney shared a funny video from March featuring Pete Davidson—who was dating Kim Kardashian at the time—and Kourtney Kardashian’s ex, Scott Disick, having a night out. She said the video had her laughing a lot.

Britney apologized for sharing the video, explaining she didn’t know the people in it but found it hilarious. She has since removed the post.

Before Chris Evans became famous as Captain America and was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2022, Jana Kramer dated him and thought he was a charming and handsome guy.

I was so surprised to hear the singer talk about this on her *Whine Down with Jana Kramer* podcast last November! She said it happened over a decade ago, and while she doesn’t remember exactly how many times they went out, she definitely remembers what happened on their last date.

Jana, who was around 26 at the time, said Chris asked her to come over when he had some friends visiting from Boston.

Jana recalled that the last thing she remembered was her partner going to the bathroom right after she’d gone, noting that eating asparagus can change the smell of urine. They didn’t spend the night together; he stayed up late with friends, and the next morning, she left his house feeling embarrassed – what she called the ‘asparagus walk of shame’.

She added, “I never heard from him again.”

Not all of these confessions are amusing.

In December, television writer Elisabeth Finch confessed that she had fabricated a story about having a rare form of bone cancer. She had originally shared this false diagnosis with *ELLE* magazine eight years prior, and it even became the basis for a plotline on the TV show *Grey’s Anatomy*.

Elisabeth recently confessed to telling a lie at age 34, which she describes as the biggest regret of her life. She explained to *The Ankler* newsletter that the lie grew over time and became a heavy burden. She also clarified, “I have never had cancer.”

After being temporarily removed from his role on the ABC medical drama and ultimately resigning, Finch admitted, “I made a mistake. It was completely unacceptable and wrong—there’s no excuse for it.”

Beauty is pain, but Kim Kardashian might be able to stomach it.

The reality star told *The New York Times* she’d consider almost any procedure to look younger.

She admitted in June that she’d even consider something extreme – like eating something disgusting daily – if it meant she could look younger. She emphasized she was serious, saying, ‘I just might.’

In a July 2022 interview with *Allure* magazine, Kim admitted she was mostly joking when she made the comment, but also thought it wasn’t a bad idea.

Kim admitted, after some thought, that she’d likely do almost anything for youth, even something disgusting. She said she’d probably eat something truly awful, like a bowl of poop, if someone promised it would make her look younger, even if it meant doing it every day.

She wasn’t sure how much she could eat. “Perhaps just a small bite,” she said. “I definitely couldn’t manage a whole bowl.”

Jelly Roll could’ve used some saving from himself.

During an April 2025 interview on *The Jennifer Hudson Show*, the singer of “Save Me” shared a particularly embarrassing story, and he didn’t hesitate to tell all the details.

“I pooped myself one time,” he admitted. “I did, I’m sorry.”

To be honest, Jelly Roll (whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord) didn’t intend to cause such serious harm.

He firmly believed it was just a harmless prank. “I really messed up,” he said. “I saw the crowd’s excitement turn to disappointment in an instant.”

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2025-10-17 21:52