Keira Knightley recently recounted her tumultuous experiences during the height of her “Pirates of the Caribbean” fame, revealing to The Times of London that she “went mad” under the relentless scrutiny of the paparazzi. As an 18-year-old launched into international stardom by Disney's franchise, Knightley found herself subjected to constant harassment, with photographers shouting derogatory terms like “whore” and “slut,” especially when she was accompanied by family members or boyfriends. Their aggressive tactics extended to provoking reactions, even attempting to instigate physical confrontations, and, disturbingly, forcing people off roads to capture sensationalized images of crashes.

Knightley described the period as a “brutal time to be a young woman in the public eye,” noting the disturbing trend where paparazzi would push celebrities “into doing something fucking crazy,” referencing Britney Spears shaving her head as an example. To combat the invasion of privacy and make herself less appealing to tabloid magazines, Knightley adopted a survival strategy: she began wearing the same clothes every day. She gave away most of her wardrobe, opting instead for a uniform of “three pairs of the same jeans, stripy T-shirt, boots.”

Further, she developed a unique method to deter her stalkers: “if I was being followed, I stopped walking. I’d literally stand there. Stock still.” On one occasion, she remained motionless for five hours. This tactic proved effective, as the paparazzi eventually found that pictures of her in the same clothes, standing still, were no longer “a valuable shot” and became “boring.”

The extreme nature of the unwanted attention led Knightley to consider quitting acting, a decision fully supported by her family who advised her to “Just fucking walk.” She subsequently traveled extensively across Europe by train, first in London and then across the continent, successfully avoiding recognition. She attributed her ability to remain incognito to visiting places like museums and trains, where she wasn't expected, and adopting a “very scruffy” appearance, going “a bit hunched,” and making no eye contact, effectively “slithering” through crowds.

Knightley had previously shared with The Times last year that fame came at a “big price” and involved being “stalked by men,” exacerbated by the notion that as a famous actor, she somehow deserved such treatment. While reflecting on her past struggles, Knightley can currently be seen in the Netflix original movie “The Woman in Cabin 10,” which is now streaming.