Countless celebrities have been victims of security breaches, hacker threats, and leaks. Everyone from Mila Kunis to Kim Kardashian to Chris Brown has been on the receiving end of these scandals. Find out what they had to say about the matter...
Sia
Many know Sia from her hit song "Chandelier" and her work with dancer Maddie Ziegler. The duo just released a film together called "Music," and despite living a relatively private life, Sia is no stranger to tabloids. When Sia's exposed photos were leaked by paparazzi, she decided to post them on Twitter herself with the caption, "Save your money, here it is for free."
Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton's claim to fame was her leading role as Marissa Cooper in The O.C., but that time in the spotlight sent her down a wild road. She was a known party girl, but in 2017 things went too far. Paparazzi got their hands on an x-rated tape she was allegedly in and demanded half a million dollars unless she wanted it leaked. Thankfully, the issue was settled, but things got pretty scary for a minute.
Paris Hilton
In 2005, hackers correctly guessed Paris Hilton's passwords — "Tinkerbell," the name of her chihuahua. They then released tons of private photos of her, but the heiress had enough money and resources at her disposal to quickly shut it all down.
Emma Watson
Just days before Watson's film Beauty and the Beast was released in 2017, her nude photos were leaked to the public. This led her to seclude herself from Hollywood for two years. Her first appearance after the scandal was in 2019's Little Women.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt
Two classic 1990s actors, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt caught themselves in the middle of a photo leak scandal in 1997. They were vacationing together in St. Barts and decided to layout in the nude in their private garden. Of course, the paparazzi showed up to snap some pics and the photos were released to the British tabloids.
Erin Heatherton
The Victoria's Secret model walked the runway from 2010-2013 and even collaborated with major fashion houses like Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and Valentino. She previously dated Leonardo DiCaprio, and some of her nude photos during their relationship were leaked. They were very personal photos and were stored on her own cell phone.
Hope Solo
Solo is a one-time World Cup winner and a two-time Olympic Gold medalist. She played for the United States soccer time for 16 years. Her nude photos were leaked on 4Chan and she released a statement that expressed her "disappointment" about the incident.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence rose to fame in "The Hunger Games" franchise and quickly became a household name among kids and teens. She later went on to establish herself as a mature actress with roles like "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Joy." However, she fell victim to a leak in 2013 when her private information and lewd photos were posted online without her knowledge.
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried was one of many celebrities whose entire personal history was leaked in a major iCloud breach. She lost access to her information and photos, all ranging from harmless to very harmful. Many celebs fell victim to this back in 2017.
Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne is one of pop punk's most famous singers thanks to her debut, "Sk8r Boi." She's gone on to lead a pretty illustrious music career and recently collaborated with Yungblood. However, in 2014 her personal photos were leaked, causing her to go off the grid for a long time.
Kate Upton
Kate Upton is a famous actress and model and made waves when she graced the pages of Sports Illustrated. More than 50 photos of her were leaked online in 2014, ranging from nude photos of herself with her boyfriend to even more personal images. However, they didn't let this cause a rift between them because she and Justin Verlander tied the knot in 2017.
Kylie Jenner
Makeup mogul Kylie Jenner grew up in the spotlight thanks to her famous siblings and their reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Back in 2014, she fell victim to a nude leak like her famous sis Kim K did way back in the day. All of Kylie's personal info was leaked on the 4Chan site for all to see.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus hit the screen at the age of 13 when she landed the lead role on Disney's Hannah Montana. However, being a child star didn't protect her from a breach of privacy. She's been the victim of several leaks and is actually one of the hardest-hit celebs. More than 500 of her personal images have found their way online.
Channing Tatum
In May 2021, Channing Tatum posted one of his own nudes right to his Instagram story. He was getting ready to film "The Lost City of D." He wrote, "You know when you in the make-up trailer a–hole naked holding a towel over your junk you about to do some s–t on set that you gonna have to prepare ya mama for before she see the movie."
Cardi B
Cardi B accidentally posted a topless photo to her Instagram story back in October. She addressed the mishap with a follow-up voice memo. It was full of regret, which anyone can understand.
Chris Evans
The "Captain America" star accidentally shared a private photo on his Instagram story when he shared a screenshot of his camera roll. However, a lot of fans came to his support rather than criticized him for the mistake. He used the brief surge in fame to write, "Now that I have your attention ... VOTE Nov 3rd!!!!"
Chris Cuomo
The CNN anchor accidentally shared a pic of his naked butt earlier last summer when his wife filmed a yoga video. Cuomo could be seen standing in the background without his pants on. Doesn't seem like either party knew what was going on at first.
Whitney Cummings
In 2019, Whitney Cummings posted an accidental nip slip that she'd shared to her feed by mistake in order to just own the image. She wanted to get ahead of any paparazzi leaks by just putting it out there herself. She wrote, "If anyone is gonna make money or likes off my nipple, it’s gonna be me. So here it all is, you foolish dorks.”
James Charles
James Charles shared "the only nude I've ever taken" back in 2019 in a response to being hacked. He captioned the photo, "Can't threaten it with me now, get a life." He'd also previously tweeted about accidentally sharing a nude to Snapchat.
Usher
Usher's 2016 nude was allegedly taken in a steam room with a flattering high angle. He posted the photo himself, and several fans were quick to screenshot the pic. The singer didn't seem to be too embarrassed about it.
Alison Pill
Alison Pill, from Scott Pilgrim Versus The World, accidentally tweeted a topless photo of herself back in 2012. Instead of acting embarrassed, she just owned the mistake. "That picture happened. Ugh. My tech issues have now reached new heights, apparently.”
Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy lit up the rap world in the early 2000's. However, the 30-year-old accidentally posted his own nudes to Tumblr while he was busy promoting his mixtape "Young & Flexin." His response was short and to-the-point: “I apologize to ever [sic] seen that,” he wrote, “accident.”
Tori Spelling
90210 actress Tori Spelling was the victim of an accidental post by her husband. Dean McDermott mistakenly posted a topless photo of her to Twitter in 2011. He spoke about the incident on a podcast, saying, "We were laying in bed, and [of course], six, seven years ago, I was really new to this social media thing. Unbeknownst to me, because I didn’t have my glasses on, was Tori in the back [of the photo], both breasts out because she just finished feeding the baby and I posted it and went to bed.”
AnnaLynne McCord
Another 90210 star accidentally leaked her own nude — this time directly to a fan. AnnaLynne McCord accidentally tweeted a photo of herself with her nipple exposed and sent it right to a fan. She later deleted the pic and replaced it with a cropped version.
Courtney Love
It's not really believable that this leak was an "accident." Courtney Love, a member of the band Hole, tweeted a photo of herself asleep but sitting oddly in a chair, topless, and then said it was meant for a boyfriend. The pic got her kicked off of Twitter.
Shiri Appleby
People don't think this leak was an accident, either. A topless photo of Appleby appeared on the Internet during the time that a scandalous episode of the show "Girls" aired, and she'd made an appearance. Take that how you will.
Liam Payne
The former One Direction singer posted (and then quickly deleted) some scandalous photos of himself in 2019. He was laying in bed in "various states of undress," though none of the photos were straight-up pornographic. Embarrassing nonetheless.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen was sharing her spray tan routine to her Snapchat story in 2017 when a fan let her know that she'd accidentally shared a nip-slip on camera. "Whoops" was all she tweeted in response. She no longer uses Snapchat, anyways.
Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne was threatened by a hacker, so she posted her own topless photos herself. "I feel gross, I feel watched, I feel someone has taken something from me that I only wanted one special person to see," she tweeted.
Iggy Azalea
The Australian rapper's nudes from a GQ photoshoot were leaked in 2019. Azalea deleted all of her social media before releasing a statement that called the leak a "nuclear bomb," and that she felt "blindsided embarrassed, violated, angry, sad, and a million other things.”
Dylan Sprouse
The former Disney star had his own full-frontal nudes leaked by an angry ex. He later confirmed they were his, because of course there was some speculation about whether or not they belonged to twin brother Cole. “Whoops, guess I'm not 14 and fat anymore,” he wrote. “I messed up... but I'd be a fool not to own up to it.”
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Cuoco's iCloud was hacked in 2014 as a part of a huge celebrity breach and several of her nude photos were leacked. As a response, she posted a topless photo of her own to her Instagram. She decided to “take it into my own hands and made a joke about it, because what else are you going to do?"
Demi Lovato
In 2013, someone hacked into Demi Lovato's ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama's Twitter and leaked several private photos of the couple. It happened again in 2013, but Lovato didn't let it get them down. “I love how everyone’s freaking out about one picture. It’s not nude and it’s just cleavage.”
Kristen Stewart
The former Twilight star had photos of herself and former girlfriend Stella Maxwell leaked in 2017. She took legal action against any site that published the images. She didn't make any formal statement.
Dakota Johnson
Though Dakota Johnson did nude scenes in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, that doesn't mean she wants people to see her personal, private photos. Her nudes were leaked in 2017 and she is just one of countless women to join the list of people whose privacy has been breached.
Tyler Posey
In 2017, the Teen Wolf star had his iCloud hacked. The leak started a trending hashtag, #WeRespectYouTyler, and fans promised not to watch or share the content. However, Posey didn't really seem bothered about it. "I don't care. It puts less stress on you if you just brush it off."
Rihanna
Rihanna's photos were leaked in 2009, and she revealed that it was "humiliating." Though she defended her decision to take naked photos, which is her right, that doesn't mean it was okay for someone to share them without her permission. “If you don’t send your boyfriend naked pictures, then I feel bad for him," she said.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson's private photos were stolen from her phone and leaked in 2011. The hacker was actually sentenced to ten years in jail after he was found guilty. She said, “It was such an invasion. I just felt like as a woman, I felt like it’s such a degrading and awful thing to have to go through."
Pete Wentz
In 2006, the Fall Out Boy singer said his nude photos were leaked off his Sidekick cellphone. How dated does that sentence sound?
Blake Lively
Blake Lively's nudes were leaked in 2011 after hackers released photos of a blonde woman posing in front of a mirror. Turns out, the photos were fake and her representatives threatened legal action. Not even Gossip Girl would do this.
Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams had a topless photo leaked in 2010, and she was super pissed about it. “Well… my night just changed drastically. Got hacked." Williams has always been a huge supporter for women's rights, and this totally violates them.
Kim Kardashian
The infamous Kim K sex tape was only the first time her privacy was invaded. In 2014, her photos were leaked along with countless other celebs' personal information. Despite her frequent skimpy Instagram posts, something like this is a breach of trust.
Kristen Dunst
That infamous 2014 iCloud scandal hit Kristen Dunst, too. She criticized Apple for their poor security and said, "Thank you iCloud," sarcastically.
Tiger Woods
Golf pro Tiger Woods had nudes leaked back in 2017, and the photos featured his ex-girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. She even threatened to take legal action against the hackers.
Rosario Dawson
Yep, Rosario Dawson's iCloud was hacked in 2014, too. She never released any statements or took any legal action, but it still hurts just the same that a huge company like Apple couldn't protect its clients.
Jessica Alba
In 2010, a topless photo of Jessica Alba was leaked while she was pregnant with her daughter. Talk about a vulnerable time to breach someone's privacy.
Kat Dennings
Two Broke Girls star Kat Dennings has been the victim of two privacy breaches. Photos of herself were leaked in 2010 and again in 2012. Nothing of the sort has happened to her since then.
Chris Brown
In 2011, Chris Brown's ex-girlfriend leaked his nudes. He's shown posing in the bathroom, and it's undeniably him due to the blond hair and tattoos. He later confirmed the photos and said he doesn't regret taking them.
Calum Hood
A Snapchat video of the 5 Seconds of Summer bass player circulated the Internet in 2014. He responded to the scandal with a tweet that said, "Least ya know what it looks like now,” he wrote. Then added, “I’m still just a teenage kid learning from mistakes.”
Madison Beer
Madison Beer shared that when she was 14 she was the victim of a "traumatic" nude photo scandal. A boy sent private Snapchats around and she talked about the shame and anxiety she felt afterward. “I was distraught and ashamed. This was a traumatizing experience that has instilled intense trust issues in me, that I’m still working on to this day.”
Alissa Violet
YouTuber Alissa Violet released a nude photo of herself on Instagram in 2019. She's shared it herself because she was threatened by a hacker. She wanted to get ahead of the person by taking matters into her own hands.
Noah Centineo
Netflix's favorite actor Noah Centineo had some nude photos leaked in the summer of 2019. When asked about the issue in several interviews, he's always declined to comment on it.
Justin Bieber
In 2017, Selena Gomez's Instagram had been hacked and photos of her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber were released to the Internet. They were from a 2015 trip to Bora Bora, and Bieber responded to the incident saying he felt "violated."
Ross Lynch
In 2019, Netflix actor Ross Lynch had to deny that any nude photos of him were circulating the Internet. "I'm curious what these pictures are cause I've never seen them," he said.
Victoria Justice
In 2014, Victoria Justice was the victim of a nude photo leak. She wrote, "Shortly after I tweeted about certain pics of me being fake, I was faced with a serious violation of privacy,” she wrote at the time. “There have always been fake photos of me on the Internet, but I will not be put in the position to defend myself as to what is real or what is fake.”
Lucy Hale
When Lucy Hale's photos were leaked in 2016, she released a lengthy statement about it. "Well, I wasn’t going to comment on something so ridiculous, but since 2017 is gonna be all about speaking my truth … I’m going to say something,” she wrote. “Once again, a woman in the public eye was violated, stolen from and her private life and body were exposed for anyone to see. I will not apologize for living my life and having a personal life that is all mine.”
Charli D'Amelio
Charli D'Amelio responded to a fake photo that appeared to be a woman without a bikini top that slightly resembled her. “Someone took a screenshot of a TikTok of mine, from I don’t even know how long ago … And I was wearing a swimsuit. And they photoshopped my swimsuit top off. And tried to expose me with it, as if the original video is not still posted on my account. All of the people that follow me were like ‘yeah that’s 110% fake.’ But people believe it!”
Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis may have appeared in sex scenes in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Friends With Benefits, but she didn't want the world to see photos from her private camera roll. One of those pics was even taken with Justin Tiimberlake.
Heather Morris
In 2012, a series of lewd photos were leaked from the Glee star's cellphone. It occurred while she was still on the show, and caused some backlash from the actress.
Chloe Grace Moretz
In 2019, Chloe Grace Moretz's Twitter account was hacked and spammed with a series of expletives. She later released a statement explaining what happened and that sort of behavior was not the work of her.