Every woman that Keira Knightley knows has been subjected to some form of sexual harassment, the actor revealed in a new interview, where she called that fact “fucking depressing.”
In her chat with Harper’s Bazaar this week, the 36-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star was asked about the topic, and claimed she doesn’t know a woman who hasn’t dealt with such treatment—whether it be groping, flashing, or something else.
“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,” the British actor said.
The star says that after the March kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard, she realized that she takes all the recommended precautions that most women take when walking to their homes, without even realizing it. On Tuesday, a London police officer, Wayne Couzens, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping Everand, CNN reports. He has reportedly not yet been asked to enter a plea on a murder charge.
“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 said.
The discussion also saw Knightley share that she herself has been harassed, when a “lone male stranger” began to follow her and journalist Lydia Slater, yelling “you look very young.”
Earlier this year, Knightley announced she will no longer act in nude scenes by male directors, in part due to the “male gaze” that comes along with them.
