Keira Knightley Beaten In Domestic Violence Ad (VIDEO)

Keira Knightley reteamed with her "Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice" director Joe Wright, this time for an ad.

The actress filmed a spot about the dangers of domestic violence, in which she gets beaten by a fictional boyfriend who believes she is having an affair.

The ad, seen below, begins with Knightley leaving a film set and arriving home to find her angry accusatory man. She then gets brutally attacked.

Keira said: 'I wanted to take part in this advert for Women's Aid because while domestic violence exists in every section of society we rarely hear about it."

The ad debuts on April 6 in the UK.


WATCH:

Comments

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

I love her. She is a very strong woman and a great example for young women today.

[Palemoon]

Chilling, but I hope it has the desired effect. And I see where alot of guys are on here asking for attention for their abuses they suffer too. Don't think it goes unnoticed. I realize both genders are very capable of extreme cruelty. Therefore, I'd like to call on ALL domestic abuse to stop. If you love someone, love them. If you're not in love with them, are using them, then please walk away from the relationship so you don't hold them back.

[sepiasiren]

why do men feel the need to undervalue women getting beaten because of female to male violence. Violence on anyone is deplorable--so does it not matter that women are being abused too all of a sudden?

And to be clear--a woman pushed her man during a fight and was locked up for domestic violence. How many of those statistics involve such incidents where blows were not exchanged?

Also--no one is accounting from man on man or girl on girl domestic violence in homosexual relationships.

If the cause is that big--men need to start a movement for awareness not attack women who want to bring notice to their justified cause.

[TheBlackCat]

here here. Any study I've seen has shown that men are MUCH MUCH more likely to be abused in homosexual relationships than in relationships with women.

People who post things like "Men are more abused by women than the other way around" do this very sneakily. They only use statistics that are for very specific age groups and/or ethnicities.

Or do things like jojojo who references that 37% of domestic violence phone calls are made by men being abused by women. Maybe it's just more likely that a man will call the cops the any time a woman hits them, whereas women will often not report domestic violence until they land in the hospital.

My uncle has been a cop for decades in Boston, and he says that only very rarely do abused women call the cops themselves. It's almost always a neighbor or family member who calls to report it.

Because when you take into account ALL AGES AND ALL PEOPLE, over 80% of partner abuse is by men. And men kill their partners at ten times the rate that women kill their partners.

And as you said, its one thing to want to bring more attention to the issue of abused men. That is something that SHOULD be done.

Not bashing on women and trying to downplay the reality of male on female violence.

[ReesieKitty]

I think it will be effective in reaching young women who might relate to Kiera Knightly. Good for her.

I am getting really sick of all the people talking about 'More men are abused by women' as if that somehow NEGATES the issue of women being abused by men.
First off- ok, even if it is true, so what? That doesn't mean the opposite doesn't still happen all the time.
Secondly- when it is a reality that most men outweigh the women who might be attacking them - how much damage are these men taking? I am not saying women should feel free to hit men either, but let's be honest and real here- a man hitting an average woman is going to hurt her a lot more than a woman hitting an average man. Also, testosterone plays a huge role in a man becoming angry and not being able to stop hitting. So although women shouldn't hit men either, I think that rampant physical abuse of women by men has been socially prevalent for thousands of years and is the greater issue to be addressed.

[jojojo]

female-on-male abuse is almost totally ignored. it deserves some attention, but gets virtually none. that does nothing to negate the huge amount of coverage male-on-female violence receives.

[TheBlackCat]

I think the reason is that very very few cases of female on male abuse end in hospitalization, serious injury, or death. Men are typically able to defend themselves, women are not. 3.7% of murdered men are killed by their partner, vs 1/3 of all women murdered.

Woman on man abuse NEEDS more attention, because right now, it gets none.

Same with emotional abuse. This is a subject that gets very little attention for either men or women, and it needs more attention.

But at the end of the day, abused men are simply not in the danger abused women are. While a woman hitting a man IS abuse, IS demeaning, it very rarely causes significant physical damage. Same with emotional abuse for either sex.

Male on female physical abuse gets the most attention because it is the most dangerous form of abuse. Which isn't saying other forms of abuse shouldn't get more attention, for sure. But there IS a reason behind the difference in coverage.

[screams]

So I don't think that pointing out the counter-intuitive woman on man violence at all negates the converse, but I feel that your post here exemplifies exactly the reason why we should be talking about woman-on-man dom. violence. These assumptions and preconceptions (which I admittedly had too before I saw the research) are what lead to society's ignoring of the issue and thus the persistence of the problem.
Though women are more often injured than men, the difference is much smaller than you would imagine (one sixth of a standard deviation). On average men are 10% larger and maybe 50% stronger, but there is a lot of variability and overlap in this. Moreover, these differences can be easily overcome by the higher use of weapons by women.

Of course I'm not saying that addressing woman-on-man beating is more important than man-on-woman, but given how little people know about it, I do think that it could probably benefit more from being talked about - regardless of how sick you are of hearing about it.

[TheBlackCat]

Exactly. Although there are exceptions, men are typically bigger and stronger than women.

Emotional and physical abuse by a woman on a man is NOT okay. And I think it's perfectly appropriate for men in these situations to be considered IN abusive relationships. They should seek help and seek to restore their self confidence and self worth escape this abusive relationship just as any woman should.

But a woman hitting a man is not the same as a man hitting a woman. No. Is that a double standard? Yes. Because it's two different things.

ASSUMING the usual size difference is in play, a man being hit by a woman is not in the same physical danger. He can stop her, he can defend hirself. If I hit my husband, he could take me down in 5 seconds. If he hit me...I would have no chance of defending myself. I would be completely at his mercy. Also, a bigger and stronger person hitting a smaller person just has so much more of an impact than a smaller weaker person hitting a bigger one.

I used to take martial arts, and lemme tell you, when I would spar with other women...it just doesn't remotely compare to the power of the punch when I sparred with the men.

Again I realize there are 300 pound 6' women and 100 pound 5' men but TYPICALLY the man in a relationship is bigger and stronger and better equipped to protect himself.

[superjules]

Here are my two cents: The first time a man puts his hands on you in anger, you leave. For good. If you stay, you are giving him the go ahead to push it further and further until he some day will kill you. That probably goes for women too. I don't know because I've only been physically abused by a man. Once.
Anything someone can do to make people aware that it's not ok to beat the people you "love" is progress.
Thank you to Keira for doing something to help.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Well, it can be hard, if the woman has kids with the man, but I agree, taking a stance the first time helps your odds, but it's not so cut and dry in every case.

[superjules]

I don't know Adrienne, I guess I'd have to hear about every case. Kids or no kids, you can still leave. In fact if your man hits you in front of your children and you stay, you are teaching them that it's perfectly ok. The only reason to stay in my opinion is to plan your revenge! :)

[TheBlackCat]

Absolutely. My husband is MUCH bigger than me, and in the army, and can be quick to anger. Once I was in an accident and I got a black eye, and some friends came to me in concern. I simply told them "Ladies, if a man ever hit me. He'd only do it once. After that, I'd be out of there. No second chances."

[Jo Manning]

Good for Keira Knightley! That took guts. Men who abuse women should be jailed and never heard from again.

[makeanimpact]

If men are beaten by women too, then ads for that can be made. That fact does not negate the powerful message in this ad.

Why do people counter with "well, women hit men too"? Does that make it OK to overlook one or both?

Helping women should not be threatening to men who call for help. Men need to demand messages for them, just like women have demanded action on domestic violence for years. Maybe it won't take decades to appear.

[WestcoastSteve]

And in Afghanistan, the Afghan President is supporting new legislation making rape a crime only outside of marriage, and restricting a woman's right to leave her home without her husband's permission. This is after years of the West being there and trying to install basic human rights.

The equality of women is the linchpin of all human rights. If half the human race is not considered equal, and is fair game to violence, rape and repression, then all other human rights are a joke. I hope this ad gets widespread airing, and doesn't get watered down in any way, because a lot of people out there still just don't get it.

[brandnewstuff]

Until Punishments become Federal Crimes- Then Men might give a damn about beating there loved oned-- Men that behave as such do it all for power and control for their own personal insecurties

Texas The WORSE PLACE_ read the victoria texas advocate and clue in to reality- not a made up PSA

[brandnewstuff]

Like a PSA will do the Trick-

Until Stiff Punishments FED CHARGESoccur then Men will stop beating females- Texas is the WORSE

U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/ipv.htm

and by the way for those that are not aware in the county I live Read our local Front Page news of Power Abuse Sexual Violence and Law Enforcement( Welcome To South Texas)

[RockySoldier]

how about women abusing men?

[Beltiras]

Actually, I don't think punishment will fix it either. I am not against it, spousal violence is a problem you *can* address with removing the offender from the home. I fear you need to go deeper to uproot it thou.

[Seven7s]

Most domestic violence is FEMALE on MALE get your facts straight. If anything they need to do a commercial on how women need to stop taking the first swing then complaining about losing a fight they started in the first place.

Also your link is DEAD. Just like your argument.

GOOGLE: "Most domestic violence on men?" and you will find a few articles showing such statistics.

Women are more likely to be violent towards a partner from the ages of 16-35. Also women are more likely to be violent in the home towards thier spouse and thier children and ALSO more likely to sexually abuse a child in the home.

Sorry but men are not the boogy man. If we're going to have this conversation fine. But lets have an honest one.

[sepiasiren]

so it makes it okay for women to get beaten--a dialogue on violence should help all who are harmed by it--male or female...

[coastalcarla]

Although a lot of domestic violence is women against men, I have seen many men smacked by a woman, with not a mark left on him. On the other hand, my husband broke my nose several times and knocked out my teeth before I was finally able to get away from him. A woman weighing 140 lbs does little damage to a man that outweighs her by 60 pounds or more. When that is reversed, that same man is able to make the woman's face look like hamburger when he's done with her. Not to mention the fact that he's able to pick her up and throw her across the room. I don't know many women that are physically able to restrain their partner, let alone throw him across the room.

Violence is violence - I agree. But get a little perspective here. There are a hell of a lot more men doing major damage to their partners than the other way around.

[TheBlackCat]

How about the honest conversation that a typical man hitting a typical woman is a lot more dangerous than a typical woman hitting a typical man.

Are both wrong? Yes. And abused men SHOULD have more resources to seek help without the fear of stigma. On that I agree.

But don't you DARE make it seem like there's no difference between a woman hitting a man and vice versa.

if I punched my husband in the head, he'd get a bruise, Maybe. If he punched me in the head, he could potentially kill me.

I took martial arts for YEARS with my hubby. I sparred with both men and women. There is NO comparison. Over the years I had a sprained wrist, a bruised rib, and a bruised tibia. All accidental of course, but all caused by men. Whenever I did heavy sparring with a man, I'd be badly bruised and would feel it for a week. With a woman, even a highly trained one, I'd be fine the next day.


Don't try and make it seem like these two situations are equal. Men and women are NOT equal when it comes to size, strength, and the ability to defend themselves.

[TheBlackCat]

Women are more likely to sexually abuse children?

That is ridiculous and I don't know how you think you could make such a ridiculous claim and not get called out on it.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse#Types_of_child_sexual_assault

[ellawensmom]

If a woman is more likely to sexually abuse a child, then why aren't more registered sex offenders female. The last list I saw, they were all men.

[Mezcalero]

What about when women abuse men?

I agree that penalties should be stiffened, but domestic violence is an inevitable conclusion of power struggles within relationships among immature people.

[Bitsko]

Can you say Lame?

[Donna Porter]

Found it disturbing but perhaps a necessary evil (shock video) for charities...responded with a short Op/Ed and credited you accordingly. Thanks for informing the public.

[RockySoldier]

with dramatically-rising woman-on-man domestic violence (the mutilation of male genitalia by spouses, physical beatings, etc), it would be interesting to see an ad condemning wife-on-husband or girlfriend-on-boyfriend domestic violence as well.

[FabulousAt52]

OK, I agree that the incidents of female-on-male domestic violence is rising... However to call it "dramatically rising" is a stretch. It is still not the situation in the VAST MAJORITY of domestic violence calls -- male-on-female violence is much much more prevalent.

Now, that being said, I would also like to see ALL manner of domestic violence (female/female, female/male, male/male, etc) as well as all forms of child abuse (verbal abuse, neglect, physical, etc) in these kinds of PSA's.
We should all be sensitized enough to recognize "all* types of violence and abuse and know who to call about it...

[WestcoastSteve]

I think there might be some knee-jerk condemnations of your response, but sadly there has been this increase you mention. This has been something that men, who have suffered it, have mostly kept quiet about due to society's perception that because they are a man they can't get assaulted, and if they were, they are a wimp.

Domestic violence has traditionally been mostly male on female (vastly I'd say, if you look at what happens in the world in general), but cannot be accepted no matter who is doing it. Any ads that combat it would b welcome. No hitting, period, is what should be the standard.

[historymatters]

or maybe it would be more productive to figure out ways for people not to use violence in dealing with each other. Violence permeates almost every aspect of Western culture, from the video games and music videos to the hyperbolic rhetoric that comes from right-wing talk radio hosts to the "wars" that we have on everything from drugs to poverty to terrorism. In a violent culture, violence is the first thing people turn to when they have disputes.

That was your point, right? Not that the silly women getting beaten up should matter less than the poor men getting bashed by emasculating women who don't know their place. Right?

[screams]

Naw, I can see RockySoldier's point. I think man-on-woman dom. violence is past the relatively easy awareness-raising stage and needs to tackled with more concrete actions (like direct legislation for harsher punishments, etc.). But with regards to woman-on-man beating, it's still completely underestimated and denied and the general population needs to have their awareness raised that this is a problem too. So, as for as PSAs go, they may be more useful for woman-on-man beatings, or at the very least, equally useful.

[Phoebe917]

call me a cynic; but somewhere there is some jerk who will find this arousing. i, however, think it could be effective with the majority. let's hope so.

[jojojo]

37% of domestic violence calls are placed by men being attacked by women.

http://www.batteredmen.com/index.htm

Articles from NY Times, etc on this topic.

[momoluvsu]

so men out number women approx 2:1 as the perps. Women are making progress.

[FabulousAt52]

jojojo-

The problem(s) I have with websites like the one you linked us to:

1. they approach the topic with anger and bias against women. Women who have taken men's abuse throughout the ages, and suddenly, a very few turn the tables and become abusers and men claim long-term, unimaginable victim-hood (from women) in a horrible "anti-man" system....
Sorry, the system evolved into an anti-man system (if you insist on seeing it that way) because of the hugely disproportionate number of males being the abusers, currently, recently and throughout history.

2. In trying to enlighten the public to the realities of female-on-male domestic violence (and I am in no way denying it happens!) this site greatly exaggerates, pontificates and vilifies ALL women, even those that HAVE suffered through abuse, by claiming their accusations are (mostly) phoney
and/or always exaggerated for other ulterior motives.

[jules23]

I checked out the link and found the "what's wrong with the duluth model" article very interesting, and not woman hating.

It makes an interesting point, whether you agree with it or not, which is that if you take a feminist theory perspective on domestic violence. That being, that all domestic violence stems from the values of patriarchy, then you leave no room for their being any kind of dialogue or meaningful action, on woman on man violence. It suggests that instead, the violence between partners of any gender may result from psychological problems like borderline personality disorder and alcoholism. This doesn't seem like woman hating propaganda to me, but hey maybe you read a different thread than me. This sounds plausible and non-ideological to me...

[clearthinker2008]

Cool, so now I know it's OK for men to beat the crap out of women. Thanks for the info.

[jojojo]

how did you draw that conclusion from my statements of usually ignored facts?

[Mezcalero]

No it's definitely not. But it's also not ok to dismiss abused men as pansies who can;t control they're women or relationships. They are victims too. It's not just about women getting beaten

[ladyv]

Assuming it's true, what is your point?

[jojojo]

It's true. Go to the website I name and look at the NY Times article--written by a woman, by the way.

[justoverit333]

but it's easier for a man to defend himself
than a woman.

[jojojo]

...and your point is...?