Keira Knightley reveals she has been sexually assaulted four times

speaking out: Keira Knightley has revealed she has been sexually assaulted four times: Dave Benett
speaking out: Keira Knightley has revealed she has been sexually assaulted four times: Dave Benett

Keira Knightley has claimed that she has been sexually assaulted on four separate occasions while out in bars.

Speaking about the #MeToo movement, the actress admitted she has “been assaulted in a minor way” numerous times in the past.

She told Variety magazine: “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.”

Knightley continued: “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.”

In praise of the moment, the 32-year-old actress said: “For too long, you really did go, ‘Oh, this is just normal.’ It’s terrifying that was our response. It must have been awful for all of those brave women who have come forward and spoken publicly about their experiences.”

Knightley then explained how we need to “move forward and figure out how to make sure it doesn’t happen again”.

In the same interview, the star admitted she doesn’t take on modern day roles as “women nearly always get raped”, saying the genre has “something distasteful” about it.

Knightley’s latest film, Colette, will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month.