Keira Knightley today accepted £3,000 in libel damages over a Daily Mail article which could have been interpreted as suggesting she had an eating disorder.

The actress, 22, was filming a new movie in Wales and did not attend London’s High Court for the settlement of her action against the newspaper.

Her mother, playwright Sharman Macdonald and partner, actor Rupert Friend, attended instead.

The story, run by the Daily Mail in January 2007 was headed: “If pictures like this one of Keira carried a health warning, my darling daughter might have lived.” It went on to cover the death of Sophie Mazurek, 19, who had battled anorexia.

The story was accompanied by a photo of Knightley wearing a bikini.

Knightly’s solicitor Simon smith told Justice Eady that the picture was taken without her consent while she was on holiday.

He said suggestions made in the story were "entirely false" and that the article could have been interpreted to mean Knightley was personally responsible for causing the death of Mazurek.

It could also have been interpreted as meaning Knightley had intentionally set out to lose weight and suffered from an eating disorder.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actress found the suggestions especially offensive as a member of her family suffered from anorexia and she was aware of the devastating consequences of eating disorders.

Kate Wilson, acting for Associated Newspapers, apologised.

She said: "The defendant sought to publish an article which it considered to be in the public interest as it concerned an important debate and wished to alert mothers to the dangers of anorexia.

Knightly is to match the £3000 damages and make a donation to the eating disorder and mental illness charity, Beat.

Explore Film

• Film Reviews

• DVD

• Oscars

• Bollywood

Editor's choice

• Exclusive: Listen to AC/DC's Black Ice
• Burning Bush with W
• Boy George on sex, drugs and Amy Winehouse