Some people say the only way to stop online harassment is to stop going online. Well, we aren't going anywhere. Reclaim Your Domain is Refinery29's campaign to make the internet (and the world outside of it) a safer space for everyone — especially women.
Emma Watson is notorious for keeping her private life under wraps. Her boyfriend is rarely a topic of conversation in interviews, no matter how interviewers try. She only reveals carefully curated random quirks about herself (but usually sticking to a strictly intellectual agenda: "books!"). In general, she rarely lets her guard down. As someone who became a movie star at a very young age thanks to the Harry Potter franchises, it's pretty amazing how much of life behind-the-scenes Watson has managed to uphold.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
But, with every big moment in the spotlight comes terrible repercussions. And that's exactly what is happening to the 26-year-old now. In the midst of a packed press tour promoting the live-action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, it was revealed that an anonymous hacker has hold of private photos of Watson and is apparently spreading them online. According to E! News, her rep say that the photos were stolen, and that despite other reports, they are not nudes of the actress. Her rep didn't reveal too much new information, but did tell the site that "photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen. They are not nude photographs." The rep added: "Lawyers have been instructed and we are not commenting further." (We also reached out for comment and will update this post if and when we heard back.)
E! also writes that there are other photos of actresses circulating across the web. Hearing this just hours after watching the emotional video of Mischa Barton speaking out about her sex tape scandal is so disturbing. The rights of these famous women have been violated by hackers, cyber attacks, and other virtual violations of privacy.