Pirates of the Caribbean star gains settlement after being accused of having an eating disorder
After suing The Daily Mail for publishing a photo of her with the caption ““If Pictures Like This One of Keira Carried a Health Warning, My Darling Daughter Might Have Lived,” Keira Knightley won a 3,000 pound settlement.
Her lawyer stated to the court that “The article could be interpreted to have asserted that the claimant bore personal responsibility for causing the tragic death of Sophie Mazurek, a 19-year-old who battled with anorexia” (The Australian, 2007).
The Pirates of the Caribbean star was troubled when claims that she suffered from anorexia were made beside an unauthorized photo of her was published in a bikini. She is one of the actresses that has been blamed for the recent deaths of models and young women who struggle with anorexia.
The Daily Mail had published another piece on Keira just before this one, titled, "It's Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Keira Knightley." It stated that the star insistently denied having suffered from anorexia.
The lawyer in Ms. Knightley’s case told the court that, although she has gone on cardiovascular and weight training programs for physically demanding roles, she would not diet to deliberately lose weight and she has never weighed herself regularly.
He continued to state that her adult weight has not fluctuated more than a few pounds and she has never lost an extreme amount of weight in a short time.
“The claimant is not a fitness fanatic, as she considers it more important and has spoken of her opinion of the need to be healthy and happy,” he said.
“The claimant found the suggestions all the more offensive as she has freely admitted publicly in the past that a member of her family suffered from anorexia and she is well aware of the devastating effects eating disorders can have” (The Australian, 2007).
Keira will follow Kate Winslet’s lead by donating the winning amount, plus an additional 3000 pounds, to the eating disorder charity Beat. She hopes this will help to bring about awareness for people with eating disorders.
Although it is easy to blame celebrities for the causing the deaths and self esteem issues of millions of women and men, the public and media must be careful when making such bold statements.
Although anorexia is often recognized by a significant weight loss, it can sometimes be hid so well that family and friends don’t notice. Similarly, bulimics do not “look” bulimic and there is no way to see someone and deduce that they have an eating disorder.
