Orlando Bloom made huge admission about reaction to viral photo of him with penis out on paddle board

In the summer of 2016, Orlando Bloom inadvertently became of the internet's most talked-about figures.

The actor, known for iconic roles in The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, was vacationing in Sardinia with then-girlfriend Katy Perry when paparazzi captured him paddle-boarding - completely naked.

The photos, which left little to the imagination, went viral almost instantly, igniting an online frenzy and countless headlines.

REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo)

In a 2017 interview with Elle UK, Bloom candidly addressed the unexpected media storm. With his signature humour, he opened the conversation by laughing: "Are we going to talk about my penis?"

But beneath the jokes lay a genuine sense of disbelief at how things unfolded.

"Yes, it was extremely surprising," Bloom admitted, reflecting on the invasive moment.

He recounted the idyllic days leading up to the infamous paddle boarding trip.

"We'd been completely alone for five days. Nothing around us. There was no way anyone could get anything," Bloom explained, describing the rare freedom he felt in that setting. "So I had a moment of feeling free."

But Bloom's sense of privacy was shattered when the photos surfaced. Despite being a veteran of Hollywood and no stranger to the spotlight, the actor was taken aback by the intensity of the public reaction.

"I've been photographed a million times in a million ways. I have a good radar," he said, before conceding, "But clearly, not good enough."

When asked whether he believed there was a double standard in how the press handles moments like these, Bloom was quick to deflect.

"Had it been a woman exposed by the press, there would have been outrage," the interviewer pointed out.

Bloom's response? "I didn't take it that deep, darlin'. What can I tell you? Note to self: you're never free. Ha!"

Instagram/Orlando Bloom)

Katy Perry also shared her perspective on the incident during a 2020 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. She revealed that Bloom had encouraged her to join him in nudity, but she declined.

"He tried to get to to strip and I was like, 'nah,'" Perry recounted. She explained her hesitation, saying: "In the back of my mind, I am like Jim Carrey in The Truman Show a little bit, so I thought maybe there would be a chance of being photographed."

Perry added that during their European vacation, nudity seemed commonplace.

"Everywhere we looked, it was like everybody was naked. It was Europe, it was Italy, and I think he wanted to fit in with the locals," she said.

Perry and Bloom began dating in 2016, briefly separated in 2017, and reunited later that year. They got engaged on Valentine's Day in 2019 and welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, in August 2020.

In an interview this year, Perry revealed that their earlier split allowed both to undergo personal growth, strengthening their relationship.

As of December 2024, they remain engaged and continue to co-parent their daughter.