Keira Knightley’s mother Sharman MacDonald has spoken of her dismay concerning constant rumours about her “anorexic” daughter, likening the media to “playground bullies”.

Knightley has long been dogged by allegations that her waif-like figure is the result of an eating disorder, but she has always denied this, blaming her genes for her naturally svelte figure.

Last year, the 23-year-old successfully sued a British tabloid newspaper for publishing an article which accused her of being anorexic and setting a bad example to young girls.

And the star's mother Macdonald, a screenwriter, can't understand why the media is so obsessed with her daughter's weight.

She tells The Sunday Times: "She's always been thin. She's her daddy's daughter, with his long body.

"It's a playground situation that we're looking at with the press - it's a form of bullying - but what can we do?"

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