If you were around in 2006, you remember the image. It was everywhere. It’s one of those rare magazine covers that didn't just sit on a coffee table; it sparked a national conversation about power, gender, and the weirdness of early-2000s Hollywood. I'm talking about the Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley Vanity Fair cover for the annual Hollywood Issue.
You had Scarlett, then 21, and Keira, just 20, sitting together. They were completely nude. Between them? A fully clothed Tom Ford. At the time, it was marketed as this high-art moment—a celebration of "The New Hollywood." But looking back through a 2026 lens, the whole thing feels... different. A lot of the "facts" people think they remember are actually a bit off, and the story of how that shoot actually came together is way messier than the glossy finish suggests.
The Rachel McAdams "Missing" Factor
Here is something a lot of people forget: there was supposed to be a third woman in that photo.
Rachel McAdams was scheduled to be on that cover alongside Scarlett and Keira. She actually showed up to the set. But there was a massive breakdown in communication. According to reports from the time, McAdams hadn't realized the shoot was going to be a nude one. When she found out, she essentially said, "No thanks," and walked out.
Honestly, good for her.
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But her exit created a problem for the guest art director, Tom Ford. He needed a third person to balance the composition. Instead of calling another actress, he decided to just... hop in himself. That’s how we ended up with the iconic, if slightly bizarre, image of a fashion mogul in a suit whispering into Keira Knightley’s ear while she and Scarlett were exposed.
Behind the Lens with Annie Leibovitz
The photo was taken by Annie Leibovitz. If you follow photography, you know she’s the gold standard. She’s the one who shot John Lennon and Yoko Ono for Rolling Stone. She doesn't just take pictures; she creates "tableaus."
For the Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley Vanity Fair shoot, the vibe was meant to be classical. They were going for a "Botticelli’s Birth of Venus" type of elegance. Leibovitz is famous for her meticulous setups, sometimes spending hours just getting the lighting right on a single fold of fabric—or in this case, the curve of a shoulder.
But even with a legend behind the camera, the power dynamic was skewed. You had two of the biggest rising stars in the world, barely out of their teens, being directed by a man who was also the "subject" of the art. Tom Ford later told Good Morning America that he didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but the visual of the "clothed man/naked women" trope has become a textbook example in film studies classes of the "male gaze" in media.
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Why It Still Matters Today
Why are we still talking about a magazine cover from twenty years ago? Because it marked a turning point.
- Career Trajectories: Scarlett Johansson was coming off Match Point; Keira Knightley was fresh off an Oscar nomination for Pride & Prejudice. This cover solidified them as "The" A-listers.
- The Privacy Debate: Keira Knightley has been very vocal lately—even as recently as 2025—about how the paparazzi hounded her during this era. She’s talked about how she felt "mad" and hyper-vigilant. This shoot was the peak of that "public ownership" of her body.
- The Parodies: It was so famous that Vanity Fair eventually spoofed itself. In 2009, they did a version with Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Jason Segel. It was hilarious, but it also pointed out how absurd the original was.
Let’s Clear Up the Misconceptions
People often think this was a "scandal" that hurt their careers. It really wasn't. If anything, it did the opposite. In 2006, "viral" wasn't a word we used like we do now, but this image went viral in the analog sense. It was on every newsstand and talked about on every late-night talk show.
Another weird myth? That they were "forced" into it. Keira Knightley has since said that she actually liked the photo and thought it was beautiful, though she also admitted the experience of that level of fame was terrifying. Scarlett has generally stayed pretty quiet about it, moving on to become the highest-paid actress in the world and a Marvel powerhouse.
The Evolution of the Hollywood Issue
Since the Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley Vanity Fair era, the magazine has changed its tone. You don't see these types of "shock value" nude covers for the Hollywood Issue anymore. The focus has shifted toward diversity, talent, and "Power Stylists."
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The 2006 cover represents a specific moment in time where fashion and film collided in a way that felt both glamorous and slightly exploitative. It’s a relic of a Hollywood that was obsessed with the "ingenue" narrative.
Moving Forward: What You Can Do
If you're interested in how celebrity culture has shifted since the mid-2000s, I recommend looking into the following:
- Check out the 2024 and 2025 Hollywood Issues: Compare the styling and the "story" the photos are trying to tell compared to 2006. The difference is night and day.
- Read Keira Knightley’s recent interviews: She’s been incredibly candid about the mental health toll of that era of fame. It adds a whole new layer of context to her expression on that cover.
- Research Annie Leibovitz’s other work: Regardless of the controversy, her technique is fascinating. Look at her portraits of Queen Elizabeth II to see the range of her style.
The Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley Vanity Fair cover isn't just a piece of trivia. It’s a snapshot of an industry in transition, a reminder of how much we’ve changed our perspective on what it means to be a "star" in the public eye.