Knightley can be seen being brutally attacked by her boyfriend in a new advertisement on domestic violence for the Women’s Aid organisation, reports UsMagazine.com.
The video, which lasts two minutes, will be presented in theatres starting April 6.
The shocking ad was directed by Joe Wright, director of Atonement.
Knightley herself volunteered to play the role of a beaten woman, explaining that "while domestic violence exists in every section of society we rarely hear about it."