Keira Knightley has come under fire after posting a story on social media about the late Donald Sutherland that many found inappropriate.
The actress recalled a scene from a movie shoot, but the story immediately generated a lot of online backlash.
In an interview with Rosamund Pike, Knightley discussed a party that Sutherland attended when they were working together. She explained that the veteran actor’s contract stipulated that no one on set was allowed to smoke or even smell like cigarettes.
“There was a party that Donald Sutherland came to because the whole thing was that you weren’t allowed to smoke,” Knightley remarked.
“Oh, yes!” Rosamund Pike responded.
Keira Knightley went on to say, “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 to cover the smell,” she added.
Keira Knightley also recalled Sutherland wearing a gas mask when he arrived at the party. “He walked right into the middle of it wearing a gas mask!” the 41-year-old actress stated.
However, the clip quickly became a sensation across digital platforms, where the actress has been sharply criticized.
Several users commented that Sutherland’s later struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) made the recollection unfunny, while others noted that people with asthma and other respiratory problems can be severely impacted by cigarette smoke and even its lingering odor.
Additionally, some questioned Knightley’s tone when telling the story, stating that they had expected greater awareness of the health risks posed by smoking.