Bella Thorne addresses leaking own nude photos after blackmail attempt ‘really broke' her
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment which some readers may find distressing.
Hollywood star Bella Thorne has candidly opened up about being hit with cruel accusations after being blackmailed with nude photos of her.
The actress, 28, who first appeared as a child in the 2003 film Stuck on You and is famed for roles in Shake It Up and The Babysitter, spoke out about the ordeal on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast alongside host Alexandra Cooper.
In 2019, Thorne fought back against an alleged blackmailer by releasing her own nude photos, and revealed how the backlash and victim-blaming accusations 'really, really broke' her.
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Rather than allowing the images to be released without her consent, Thorne instead took control and chose to publish them herself after the threats. The FBI also became involved in the investigation, telling her they believed the alleged blackmailer matched an existing open investigation.
Recalling her decision to publish the images on an online profile, Bella said the online response 'really broke me'. In the podcast, which has since had 250,000 views, she said: "I just did an honest Twitter post. I just kind of set it out as, you're not gonna keep taking this from me, so here it is.
"And you know, I think the worst part of that was people saying, 'Well, you did this. You are faking it. You just wanna show us your t***.
"You want us so badly to see your private parts that that's why you're doing it. You want it'. That, to me, like, really broke me then. That like, really, really broke me."
"My power was taken from me"
Discussing how the ordeal happened, she explained that the man had repeatedly texted her with pictures to coerce her into a conversation, which was happening during her book tour.
In conversation with Alexandra, she said the contact with the unknown man intensified at a time when she was doing press interviews about her personal struggles, trauma and relationships.
"It started off with a text. Like 'oh hi kitty' or something something, and I was just like what is this? Ignore it," she responded when asked about revenge porn.
"And then a photo of me, that I had never posted, and I was like my brain... chills. And then he was like 'you want more?' and he sent more. And he kept sending them until he got me in a conversation with him.
"I was doing my book tour at the time for the Life of a Wannabe Mogul. And I'm like, I wrote this book because I felt so misunderstood and I didn't know how to express myself. Not only misunderstood, but I was not
properly expressing myself.
"So I write this book and while I'm f***ing doing this press tour talking about molestation and like dark s*** this man is threatening me and won't stop threatening me.
She continued: "Like my power was taken from me for so many years, and now he's taking it again... also feeling this like everything will end if this if he does this.
"Everything will end for you. Everything, all the s*** that you've been through, everything you've done to get to this point's all going to be blown up."
Posting photos led to FBI investigation
Bella had alleged at the time that the hacker had attempted to blackmail her by using the private nude photographs that had never been publicly posted. But speaking on the podcast she explained how the backlash to her taking control took a huge emotional toll on her.
The actress also recorded an Instagram story describing herself as 'completely broken and so upset, just mad.' However, the ordeal took an unexpected turn when the FBI appeared at her door.
"Then I get like a call one day, and it's the FBI," she said. "And they're like, 'Hey, you know, we've seen this thing. We think it's our guy and, like, can we come over? Can we get all the data? Can we see what this is?'
"They came over to my house, so now I have like a house full of FBI, which is like the craziest thing." She claimed that investigators identified the suspect by comparing the language used in messages with material connected to a different probe.
"So, if I had not posted those screenshots… they wouldn't have caught him," she said. "Or maybe they would've caught him later, but they wouldn't have had that direct source. And that's how they knew is because of the screenshots. Because it's his exact writing, and they're like, 'This is his MO. It's the same guy, it has to be.'"
If you or someone you know has had an intimate image or video released without their consent, you can visit the Revenge Porn Helpline for help deciding what to do.
Topics: Bella Thorne, Celebrity, Entertainment, US News
James Holt