Keira Knightley reveals she has been sexually assaulted FOUR times on nights out in bars
The 32-year-old star of the Imitation Game and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise said none of the assaults were during her work in Hollywood
ACTRESS Keira Knightley says she has been sexually assaulted and praised the bravery of women who have come forward as part of the #MeToo movement.
The 32-year-old star of the Imitation Game and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise said none of the assaults were during her work in Hollywood - but in bars on nights out.
She told : "I’m fortunate that I’ve never been sexually abused professionally or harassed on a film set, but in my personal life, when I’ve been in bars, I can count four times when I’ve been what I’d say was assaulted in a minor way.
"I think everyone has battled their fair share of monsters.
"It’s not just actresses. It’s teachers; it’s lawyers.
"I’m not talking about rape, but I’m talking about the people who had been grabbed in pubs or their breasts had been fondled by somebody they didn’t know or they’d had someone shove a hand up their skirt."
Knightley, who is married to musician James Righton, said she only had "professional" encounters with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein when she worked on The Imitation Game and Begin Again.
"He certainly never asked me for massages or anything like that," she added.
She also praised those who shared their stories and says the film industry must find ways to ensure the culture of abuse, intimidation and silence is broken.
Knightley also said she found her meteoric rise to fame "horrific" because she was just 18 and under intense levels of scrutiny.
"You’re in some ways still a child. It was traumatic, but it set up the rest of my career," she added.
In April the Hollywood star and her husband been given the go-ahead to beef up security measures at her home after saying their Grade II-listed home was being "compromised" by a stalker.
Knightley found fame in Bend It Like Beckham and the Pirates Of The Caribbean and went on to star in Pride & Prejudice, The Imitation Game, and Never Let Me Go.
Her next film is the historical drama Colette, based on the French novelist, who wrote Gigi.
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