Orlando Bloom has responded to Keira Knightley's criticism of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series after the actor revealed she needed years of therapy afterwards.
Knightley, 39, featured in multiple Pirates movies over the years, starring as the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann, who becomes a pirate leader.
The Oscar-nominated actor admitted she felt she was 'taken down so publicly' for starring in the franchise, telling The Times: "It's a funny thing when you have something that was making and breaking you at the same time.
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"I was seen as s**t because of them, and yet because they did so well I was given the opportunity to do the films that I ended up getting Oscar nominations for [Pride & Prejudice and The Imitation Game].
"They were the most successful films I'll ever be a part of and they were the reason that I was taken down publicly.
"So, they're in a very confused place in my head."
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Speaking of the films, her co-star Bloom, 48, has since told Entertainment Weekly that 'it feels almost like another lifetime now'.
The actor starred as Will Turner, a blacksmith-turned-pirate who became Elizabeth’s love interest.
"I definitely understand where Keira was coming from, and she does wonderful things," he added.
"I have a lot of positive takeaways."
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Knightley - who was 17 years old in the first movie - has also opened up about her struggles with fame during that time, and she underwent 'many years of therapy' to cope.
She told The Telegraph in 2019: "The fame that came with them I just couldn’t handle.
"So looking back, would I do anything different? No, I wouldn’t because I’m unbelievably lucky now, and my career is in a place where I really enjoy it, and I have a level of fame that’s much less intense."
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"She [Elizabeth Swann] was the object of everybody's lust," the film star added to Harper's Bazaar in 2023.
"Not that she doesn't have a lot of fight in her. But it was interesting coming from being really tomboyish to getting projected as quite the opposite. I felt very constrained. I felt very stuck.
"So the roles afterwards were about trying to break out of that.
"I didn't have a sense of how to articulate it. It very much felt like I was caged in a thing I didn't understand."
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If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: Celebrity, Film, Orlando Bloom
Anish Vij