Keira Knightley defends Madonna after criticism about her 'new face'

Keira Knightley has come out in support of Madonna after trolls criticised her appearance at the Grammys last month.

The Queen of Pop addressed the cruel comments she got after she presented at the 65^th Annual Grammy Awards, with social media critics claiming she looked ‘unrecognisable’ while speculating about whether she's had cosmetic procedures.

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The ‘Frozen’ hit-maker took to the stage to introduce the controversial performance of the Grammy-winning song ‘Unholy’ by Sam Smith and Kim Petras.

Madonna said in her statement that she wanted people to talk about the ‘fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim’ - who became the first non-binary and transgender artists to top the Hot 100 with their duet last year - but instead people focused on her face.

“Once again I am caught in the flare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in,” she wrote.

As online trolls mocked her appearance, the 64-year-old joined the debate and said the conversations about her face proved that the world ‘refuses to celebrate women [past] the age of 45’.

Television presenter Lorraine Kelly, 63, who previously compared Madonna’s appearance to a ‘boiled egg’, also said that Madonna ‘doesn’t really look like herself’.

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Keira Knightley, 37, weighed in on the expectations placed on women as they age, especially in the public eye, and just how baffling it all is.

“Change is always tricky,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “We’re taught that it’s bad. We’re taught that we don’t want grey hair.

“You’ve got Madonna on the one hand - and we’re told that’s not the right thing. Then you have someone else, where we’re told, ‘They looked better 20 years ago’. How are we, culturally, meant to age?”

The Pirates of the Caribbean star then cited Helen Mirren as a ‘terribly good’ example.

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“She ages in the most sensational manner. She’s fabulous in every way. You look at her and think, ‘God, you’re having so much fun. You’re enjoying life so much,” she said.

Never one to shy away from controversy, Madonna poked fun at the speculation about her ‘unrecognisable’ appearance on social media.

“Look how cute I am now that swelling from surgery has gone down. Lol,” she quipped in a tweet alongside a picture of herself looking fiercely taut.

In other news, Madonna is set to embark on a greatest hits tour this year titled The Celebration Tour.