As Dornan’s star began to rise in the modeling realm, in 2003 he took part in a photo shoot for the English jeweler Asprey, which just so happened to feature Knightley (via Cosmopolitan). A few years into their relationship, Knightley opened up to The Mirror about their dynamic. “I’m mad about him. He keeps me sane when things get stressful,” she said. “We always have fun together.” Not much else is known as to how quickly the two became an item, but they were together for a good couple of years before they decided to call it quits in 2006.
Their relationship may have been low-key, but Dornan was surprisingly open about why they broke up. “There is a big pressure when you go out with someone such as Keira,” the actor told the Daily Mirror that same year (via Cosmopolitan). “The man is meant to be the alpha in the relationship on the money and power front, and clearly I was not. You feel like you have to be dominant in other areas and that causes problems …” At the time, the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Love Actually” had been released, both of which she was one of the main stars of.
