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Keira Knightley’s Dating History Through the Years
Getty / Noam Galai
It’s hard to imagine the 2000s without Keira Knightley. The British actor made her onscreen debut in the early 1990s but quickly rose to fame after appearing in several popular films of the early 2000s, including “Bend It Like Beckham,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” and the beloved Christmas rom-com “Love Actually.”
Following her mainstream success, Knightley took on dramatic roles, notably as Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 film adaptation of “Pride & Prejudice” and Cecilia Tallis in “Atonement,” both of which earned her Golden Globe nominations. The actor’s prolific career has carried well into the 2010s and 2020s, and most recently, she can be seen in Hulu’s true-crime film “Boston Strangler,” which hit the streamer on March 17.
When she isn’t taking on new projects, though, Knightley maintains a private personal life. As far as romances go, the “Imitation Game” star dated a few notable actors over the years, including Jamie Dornan and Rupert Friend, before landing on her current partner, musician James Righton, in 2011. Knightley married Righton in 2013, and together the pair have two daughters, Edie and Delilah.
Read on to learn about Knightley’s dating history, including her current relationship!
Getty / Dave Benett
Del Synnott (2001-2003)
Knightley met Irish actor Del Synnott on the set of Disney’s TV movie “Princess of Thieves” in 2001. According to The Mirror, the two started dating shortly after starring in the film together and went on to date until 2003.
Getty / Dave Hogan
Jamie Dornan (2003-2005)
By 2003, Knightley’s acting and modeling career was taking off. In August of that year, she and “Fifty Shades of Grey” actor Jamie Dornan met at a photo-shoot campaign for Asprey, a UK-based jewelry retailer, as reported by InStyle. Not long after they crossed paths, the pair started dating.
Throughout their relationship, the couple tried to keep their romance out of the spotlight, but by 2005, the two called it quits. Dornan’s rep told People at the time, “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.”
Getty / Daniele Venturelli
Rupert Friend (2006-2011)
After her breakup with Dornan, Knightley met British actor Rupert Friend on the 2005 set of “Pride & Prejudice,” and they began dating shortly after, per Us Weekly. Like her other previous relationships, Knightley kept her longtime romance with Friend private, and the two rarely talked about their relationship in public.
During their five-year relationship, the actors shared an apartment in the Hyde Park section of London and were often pursued relentlessly by paparazzi, which allegedly led to their breakup in 2011. Friends close to the couple told the Daily Mail after the split, “Rupert hates the idea of being followed and photographed. Keira partially had to accept it because of her rising profile . . . It affected the harmony in the relationship. The pressure took its toll and both decided they should go their separate ways. They will remain life-long friends.”
Getty / David M. Benett
James Righton (2011-Present)
Following the end of her relationship with Friend, Knightley was introduced to musician James Righton by a mutual friend in 2011, according to People. The two connected immediately and started dating not long after. In May 2012, the couple took their relationship to the next level and got engaged.
One year later, in May 2013, Knightley and Righton tied the knot in an intimate ceremony, with just 11 people present, in Mazan, France, as reported by British Vogue. Righton later gushed about the special day to NME, saying, “It was the greatest day ever, it was fantastic. We’re still high from it. It was about two weeks ago, it was a big party.”
A few years into their marriage, the pair welcomed their first child together, Edie, on May 25, 2015, and they later had a second child, Delilah, in September 2019. Though Knightley and Righton keep their personal life under wraps, the two occasionally attend public events together, like fashion shows and launch parties.