Lucy Hale is the latest woman in Hollywood to have her privacy violated in an absolutely unacceptable way. (And no, there's not an "acceptable" way to violate someone's privacy, but leaking naked pictures is a whole other level of low.) On Wednesday, topless photos of Hale reportedly surfaced online. But instead of contributing to the problem and clicking on said pictures, be part of the solution: read and share Hale's empowering response to her nude photo leak. In a tweet on Thursday, the Pretty Little Liars star rose above the situation with the utmost class. Here's an excerpt of her post:
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. 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.
As Hale's comments makes clear, she didn't have to comment on the situation. Staying silent would have been pretty powerful too, as it wouldn't give any unnecessary attention to the photo leaker. But instead, she decided to say something and stand up for herself — and her response deserves a major round of applause. She owes no one an apology, but someone out there certainly owes her one. Just because she's an actor on TV does not mean people have a right to aspects of her private life, especially when it comes to photos of her body. At the end of the day, she's a human being and deserves the same privacy and respect as anyone else.
Hale statement continued, "It's truly unfortunate that being exposed in this way is allowed." She's right that it's unfortunate and she's not the only female celebrity that's been attacked in such a way. Just look at Leslie Jones, who was relentlessly trolled online earlier this year. Her website was hacked with alleged naked photos, as well as racist slurs. And what about when Jennifer Lawrence's photos leaked in 2014? This online harassment should not be the side effect of being a woman in the public eye. The targeting of women in Hollywood needs to stop.
While what happened to Hale is 100-percent not OK, she did take the time to focus on the positives and thank those who have sent her supportive messages. She wrote, "It was a much needed reminder that I'm surrounded by so much love. I appreciate you all very much." Then, with one final note, she showed who's the true winner here. Along with a peace sign emoji, she added, "And to whoever did this... kiss my ass."
Yup, now that is how you rise above trolls on the internet. Well said.
