Keira Knightley’s Daughter Has Seen the Disney Movies She “Banned”

When it comes to parenting, there is always that one thing you say you’ll never do—but, lo and behold, sometimes you find yourself doing it anyway. Keira Knightley is finding herself facing a similar parenting experience.

In 2018 during an appearance on The Ellen show, the actress and mom to daughters Edie, 4, and Delilah, 6 months, revealed that Edie would not be allowed to watch certain older Disney movies. Her issue with the fairy tales? Their message that women need to change themselves to attract men or wait for men to rescue them. “Cinderella—banned—because she waits around for a rich guy to rescue her. Rescue yourself, obviously,” she stated during the interview, adding that The Little Mermaid was also in the list, even though it’s one of her favorites. “The songs are great, but do not give your voice up for a man, hello! I love The Little Mermaid so that one’s a little tricky, but I’m keeping to it.”

Now, however, in a recent interview with Net-a-Porter, the mom of two revealed Edie has seen all the movies she had once banned. “She’s watched them all now,” the actor said, adding that it seems she was still able to teach some kind of lesson. “When we watched Sleeping Beauty, she said, ‘It’s not OK that man kissed her without her permission!’ I can’t tell you how pleased I was. If I don’t do anything else, I’ve managed to drum that in!”

Unhealthy gender-stereotypes (thankfully) seem to be on the decline. While women have come a long way, Knightley continues to say that she wants to see more representation in the film industry. Most all of her upcoming projects, including the movie, Misbehavior, in which she plays a feminist activist, have to do female perspective and are directed by women. “As I grew up within the media, the crazy difference between how women were allowed to behave versus how men were allowed to behave was so huge. In a lot of my films, I looked for things that reflected that barrier we come up against,” she told the publication.

She added, “You have to give female filmmakers the chance to fail, because men are given that chance and then they come back and make amazing films, but female directors are not. They are expected to be perfect, right from the get-go…You need to have women telling their experiences, [which] don’t all stop at happily ever after. What the f*** happens after happily ever after?”

While Knightley may not have all the answers, when it comes to raising strong and independent girls, she is definitely asking the right questions. Teaching your child “grit”—which focuses on a child’s tendency to pursue something even after a setback or a failure—and resilience from an early age can help them achieve success later in life. If you’re looking for ways on how to raise a child with grit, check out our top tips.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.