Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has finally decided to speak out about the photos stolen from her online account, which circulated on the Internet and spread like wildfire.
She told Vanity Fair's Sam Kashner in an interview, "It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violation."
The 24-year old superstar expressed her disgust at the act of sexual exploitation done against her. She said that just because she is a public figure doesn't mean that she agrees to being violated.
"Just because I'm a public figure, just because I'm an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. It does not mean that it comes with the territory," she said. "It's my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can't believe that we even live in that kind of world."
Lawrence stated that the law should be changed, and people should change. And while she deems that websites are responsible, she also says that people who looked at the stolen photos are likewise guilty of crime. In her words, "Anybody who looked at those pictures, you're perpetuating a sexual offense."
Aside from Lawrence, other celebrities reported to have been victims of privacy violation include Scarlett Johansson, Cara Delevigne, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Erin Heatherton, Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, among many others. Nick Hogan, the son of wrestler Hulk Hogan, is said to be the first male to have been targeted by the hackers (Justin Verlander's were leaked along with girlfriend Kate Upton's).
The FBI is reportedly working on the case to crack down what is believed to be widespread hacking. The hackers have, so far, released four waves of stolen pictures.
When her private photos circulated online, the "Hunger Games" star said that she felt afraid, and thought of the ramifications of the incident to her career. She also narrated that she tried several times to write a statement, but it drove her to either tears or anger.
But the actress, it seems, has managed to bounce back. She said, "Time does heal, you know. I'm not crying about it anymore. I can't be angry anymore. I can't have my happiness rest on these people being caught, because they might not be. I need to just find my own peace."
Of course, while the wound might heal, there will always be a scar, and no woman deserves that.
