Knightley domestic violence advert banned

A anti-domestic violence advert starring Keira Knightley has been banned from television after being deemed too shocking for audiences.

The Women's Aid commercial, which has already been aired on YouTube and in cinemas, shows the actress being accused of having an affair, before she is thrown to the ground and repeatedly kicked by her boyfriend.

However, Clearcast, the body that censors adverts for Ofcom, has ruled that the promo cannot be aired unless the violent scenes are removed.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Lucy Brown from Women's Aid claimed that the two-minute film was justified because it reflected the real threat of domestic violence in society.

"We were very careful to reflect what we had heard from anecdotal evidence. We have put this forward to Clearcast, with statistics from the Home Office, and other material," she said.

Chris Hirst of Grey London Advertising Agency, who created the promo, added: "Part of the campaign is to raise awareness about domestic violence, and spark debate, which the advert has done, even if it doesn't make it on television."

The commercial, which was helmed by Atonement director Joe Wright, was slated to air later this month.