Emma Watson Pursuing Legal Action: Private Photos Stolen, Then Leaked Online
Beauty and the Beast star Emma Watson is really mad, and she is not going to take it anymore after some private photos were stolen from her and leaked online. There have been conflicting reports that these are nude photos, but the rep for the actress says that this is not true. These were not posed or intimate photos, but images of Watson at a dress fitting. Watson is using her legal team to get to the bottom of the theft.
This has been a big month for Emma Watson, as Beauty and the Beast has been released to rave reviews for her acting and her singing, reports the Inquisitr. Watson, who got her big start in the Harry Potter series as Hermione, has come a long way from being a 10-year-old in an ensemble cast to being the star of a Disney musical. But part of growing up in the public eye has made Emma Watson a target for those who are eager to get photos of her from her private life.
Emma Watson is understandably angry about the invasion of her privacy while at a dress fitting, says Page Six. Watson is just one in a series of actresses who have had their private or personal images stolen and then published online without permission. Watson has made it clear that her team will get to the bottom of it.
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And there have been convictions in the theft of photos from the iCloud hack. The two men who stole images from Jennifer Lawrence were recently sentenced to time behind bars.
Emma Watson’s rep put out a statement about the Beauty and the Beast star’s violation.
“Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen. They are not nude photographs. Lawyers have been instructed and we are not commenting further.”
It sounds like Emma Watson’s legal team means business.
Emma Watson taking legal action after photo hack https://t.co/j9MelI5Kw2 pic.twitter.com/4gGHFipafW
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 15, 2017
Sadly, thefts of private photos from the cloud are on the rise, and the stolen images are not all nude or sexual, as the thieves don’t always know what they are getting when they steal a batch of photos. And the images lifted are not just of the rich and famous, though obviously those fetch top dollar, reports the Hollywood Reporter.
Currently, attorney Lisa Bloom is representing Mischa Barton in a case of “revenge porn.” An ex of Mischa Barton has been trying to peddle a private sex tape and is looking for a big payday. But because Barton had no idea she was even being filmed, selling this video is criminal. Lucy Hale, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Lawrence, and now Emma Watson have all sought legal representation to stop the sale and release of private photos.
The Daily Mail said that images of Emma Watson and Amanda Seyfried were released yesterday on the dark web after each actress had a computer or phone hack. Emma Watson has confirmed that she has her legal team dealing with the theft and also that the photos were not recent, having been taken during a fitting more than two years ago.
And this is sadly not the first time that Emma Watson has been threatened with the publication of personal photos, but she says the first event was a hoax and that the person attempting to extort her had nothing. Just before the threats started, Emma Watson gave a speech on gender equality in her capacity as a UN Ambassador for Women.
“I knew it was a hoax, I knew the pictures didn’t exist, but I think a lot of people that were close to me knew gender equality was an issue but didn’t think it was that urgent, that it was a thing of the past.”
Private photos of Emma Watson have been hacked and shared the dark web https://t.co/i1fQicyqeD pic.twitter.com/Q9o55ffb4F
— Mirror Gaming (@mirrorgaming) March 15, 2017
Many lawyers say that it is important for people like Emma Watson not to cave in and keep it a secret if you are being extorted after a photo threat. Theft of images from the cloud are often done by teams, and the penalty for getting caught continues to get steeper.
Do you think that Beauty and the Beast star Emma Watson is right to pursue legal action?
[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]
