Today, Keira Knightley and Jamie Dornan are well-known stars in the entertainment industry but not many people know that the two stars dated before their acting fame. In the early 2000s, Knightley was gaining popularity for her work in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), and Pure (2002). Around this time, the actress met Jamie Dornan, who was a model back then.
The two were together for two years and Dornan has admitted that the relationship was quite overwhelming for him, mainly because of all the media attention. Roughly one year after their breakup, Dornan made his acting debut in director Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette.
Keira Knightley and Jamie Dornan dated in the early 2000s
Hollywood stars Keira Knightley and Jamie Dornan met while working on an advertisement for Royal Jewelers Asprey in 2003 and shortly after that, the two were in the headlines for their public relationship. The two became the talk of the town as Knightley was a budding actress at the time while Dornan was a model.
Dornan has admitted in the past that the media attention they got was quite overwhelming for him. The actor opened up about the pressure he was under, especially when the paparazzi were following them and camping outside their house.
Keira Knightley and Jamie Dornan ended their relationship in 2005
Very soon, things took a turn in their relationship. In August 2005, Dornan’s public representative issued a public statement announcing their breakup (via NickiSwift),
“Keira and Jamie have decided to call a halt to their relationship in its current phase but they remain completely committed to each other as friends and will continue to see each other in this capacity.”
A source later revealed that the breakup took a toll on Knightley’s mental health and the two tried their best to save the relationship,
“She really thought what she and Jamie had was love but it just wasn’t meant to be – They were having crisis talks on an almost daily basis but the decision was reached to finally call it a day.”
The reason behind the breakup wasn’t officially disclosed but many sources claimed that Knightley’s fame was the culprit. Two years after their breakup, Dornan made his Hollywood debut and the two have remained friends over the years.
