Keira Knightley prompted an avalanche of criticism after admitting that she violated a key rule that the late actor Donald Sutherland had set for his co-stars.
It comes after the British actress subtly apologized for participating in a project produced by the controversial Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Knightly is one of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry, having starred in both independent films and beloved blockbusters such as Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Anna Karenina.
Highlights
- Keira Knightley admitted breaking 'Pride & Prejudice' co-star Donald Sutherland’s health request, sparking backlash from fans.
- Knightley’s lighthearted anecdote of Sutherland wearing a gas mask to a party caused criticism for disrespecting his health struggles.
- The actress previously divided opinions after voicing a character in a 'Harry Potter' audiobook amid controversy over J.K. Rowling's views.
Image credits: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images
In 2005, she famously played Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice. Sutherland portrayed Mr. Bennet, a landed gentleman and the patriarch of the Bennet family.
During a Vanity Fair interview alongside Rosamund Pike, who played her sister Jane Bennet in the period drama, Knightley left viewers fuming after seemingly laughing off Sutherland’s no-sm*king rule.
The late actor reportedly had a contractual requirement that nobody was allowed to smoke around him or smell of cigarettes while working on set.
Image credits: IMDb
"There was a party that Donald Sutherland came to because the whole thing was that you weren’t allowed to smoke," Knightley said.
Pike replied, "Oh, yes!"
Knightley continued, "He had it in his contract that nobody on the set was allowed to smoke anywhere near him, and you couldn’t smell of smoke. But of course, everyone smoked.
"Back then anyway, everyone smoked. We’d all run off to smoke, then spray ourselves with everything.”
Image credits: Vanity Fair
Knightley then recalled a party they attended with Sutherland, where he arrived wearing a gas mask.
"But at the party he came to, he was right in the middle of it wearing a gas mask!" she said, laughing.
The 41-year-old star added, “Because he knew! He said, ‘I want you all to be able to smoke, and I wanted to come to the party.’ So we were all sm*king, and there he was in a gas mask!”
Image credits: Vanity Fair
The interview sparked criticism from several social media users, who argued that the story wasn't funny and shouldn't have been told in such a lighthearted way, given that Sutherland passed away after living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“Didn’t he d*e from COPD? This seems like a very disrespectful story about very disrespectful behavior,” an X user raged.
“Keira that’s not the flex you think it is,” another critic wrote, while a third said, “We need to normalize shaming a**hole celebs that think sh*tty behavior is hilarious.”
Someone else chimed in, “I’m saying this as someone who smokes, yeah this is inexcusable.”
Image credits: IMDb
Some said that if Sutherland included that clause in his contract, it wasn’t simply because he felt nauseous from smoke. “When you see someone making that level of effort to protect themselves from you ... maybe it should occur to you to help them.”
Moreover, many pointed out that smoke can still affect people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, even if the smoker sprays themselves with perfume.
Sutherland, whose career spanned six decades and more than 200 acting credits, passed away from COPD in June 2024 while under hospice care at the University of Miami Hospital.
Image credits: Vanity Fair
COPD is an umbrella term for several progressive lung diseases that obstruct the airways and make it difficult to breathe, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
People with COPD often experience worsening of symptoms, including severe difficulty breathing, thicker mucus, wheezing, and cough.
According to the clinic, COPD can result from damage to the lungs caused by sm*king, secondhand smoke, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency—a genetic disorder that can lead to lung damage— toxins in the air, or exposure to dust and fumes at work.
The veteran Canadian actor was often seen using breathing equipment in public later in life due to the effects of his past sm*king habit, per Radar Online.
During the interview, Knightley and Pike also praised the late star, saying that very few co-stars have matched the fun they had filming with Sutherland.
Knightley said, "I have to say, most actors have been a disappointment since then."
Pike agreed, "Donald was pretty legendary. We did have dinners with him sometimes, and he told us some pretty wild stories that cannot be shared."
Image credits: Netflix
The Sutherland anecdote wasn’t the only recent controversy involving Knightley. Last year, the Oscar-nominated actress addressed the criticism she faced for voicing Dolores Umbridge in Audible’s Harry Potter audiobook series.
Her decision to participate in the project, which was produced by Rowling, drew backlash due to the Harry Potter author’s views on gender issues.
In an interview with Decider, Knightley claimed she was “not aware” of a boycott against Harry Potter when she agreed to participate in the audiobook.
Image credits: J.K. Rowling
“I was not aware of that, no. I’m very sorry," she said.
Knightley also asked fans not to let their differing views affect how they treat one another or the love they have for the popular franchise.
“I think we’re all living in a period of time right now where we’re all going to have to figure out how to live together, aren’t we?” the Black Doves star said. “And we’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.”
Her response divided opinion, with some arguing that art should be separated from the artist and others interpreting her involvement in the project as Knightley supporting Rowling's views, which critics have described as TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
Among the stars who lent their voices to the seven-part audiobook series are Hugh Laurie (Albus Dumbledore), Matthew Macfadyen (Lord Voldemort), Riz Ahmed (Professor Snape), Michelle Gomez (Professor McGonagall), and Kit Harington (Professor Lockhart).