Who is Keira Knightley? Caitlin Moran finds someone very different from the elegant, classy Knightley we think we know. Knightley survived the emotional turmoil of being a young, famous woman in the early 2000s—barely—disappeared for a while, and then came back stronger. It’s a fun, vivid profile that both introduces you to an older Knightley and leaves you shuddering at what was once considered acceptable as she grew up famous.
This is what I want to talk about with Knightley today. I think it’s only in the past few years that, with hindsight, we’ve started to realise just what an emotional killing field it was for young, famous women between the end of the Nineties and the early 2010s. This was the era of upskirting female celebrities; of Amy Winehouse being chased by paparazzi. It’s Britney Spears being wheeled out of her house on a trolley, and Chris Evans on TFI Friday asking Victoria Beckham (then Adams), “Is your weight back to normal?” two months after she’d given birth — then got her to weigh herself, live on television.
There was a raw, deeply misogynistic brutality to the way young, famous women were treated in the media. The “Circle of Shame”; “Hot or Not?”; Jade Goody being called a “pig” in one tabloid. It was visceral. Even in the “grown-up” media, the tone used to talk about women was … creepy.
More profile picks
Rachel Entrekin Is Ready to Take What’s Hers
“She’s been winning races outright for nearly a decade. Why are we only now learning her name?”
16 Hours in an Oakland Dive Bar
“Very few Oakland establishments open before noon. Club 2101 in Dimond is one of them. For patrons, it’s a second home.”
Accidental Historian
“With little fanfare, Ray Di Pietro has attracted tens of thousands of devotees. His images are artfully composed, spontaneous, honest, and, well, kind.”
A Beastie Boy Returns to the Mic, With Some Help
“Thanks to an assist from his sons, Mike D is set to release “Thank You,” the first new music from a member of the pioneering rap trio in 15 years.”
Inside the Shaolin Monastery that Helped Build Victor Wembanyama
“This is the story of how 34 generations of Shaolin warrior history trained a once-in-a-generation NBA superstar.”
Gillian Welch: This Land is Her Land
“You don’t need to shout it for the entire world, but you need to give hope to the people who need it, who you can speak to.”
