News anchor Krystal Ball fires back at Rush Limbaugh after he falsely claims she took nude photos as a teen
Krystal Ball, the former MSNBC host who now works as a news anchor for The Hill, is firing back at Rush Limbaugh after the conservative radio host alleged that she’d posted nude photos of herself on “Facebook or MySpace or you know, MyButt” when she “was 14 or 15.”
In a segment on her show, Rising with the Hill, the 37-year-old shot down Limbaugh’s claims, telling co-host Saagar Enjeti and viewers that, not only did Facebook and MySpace not exist when she was a teen, but that she never posed nude. Ball added that Limbaugh may have been referring to “party photos” from 2010 that have surfaced online, but noted that she was an adult and not undressed in those photos.
“He felt the need to make this much more salacious in order to titillate his audience,” she said.
But Ball said that that the larger issue was that Limbaugh would try to shame her — and by extent, other young women — for taking a provocative photo.
“Not everyone has the platform that I have to be able to call him out and set the record straight, and I don’t want to feel like he can just slime whoever he wants and get away with it, with no accountability,” she said. “But ... if I did have some naked photos from when I was 14 or 15 or whenever, who freaking cares? It is not your job to be the moral police or to shame me or any other young woman who is out there who may have nude photos that come out. If they want to run for office, if they want to be political leaders, they still can.”
Ball, a former candidate for Congress, also tweeted about Limbaugh’s “slut-shaming.”
Maybe just ignore it and move on. But the reality is, his show has millions of listeners and the transcript is readily available online. I didn't want this slut-shaming smear just hanging out there. I'm also lucky enough to have a platform to set the record straight.
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) September 12, 2019
Limbaugh doesn't get to be the morality police and I won't stand by when slut-shaming is being used to undermine yet another woman, even when that woman is me. Here are his full comments and my full response. Also for the record @esaagar is the greatest. https://t.co/uV3jU9MjDu
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) September 12, 2019
Ball is being praised for speaking out against the radio host, with many suggesting she file a lawsuit against him.
You keep standing Krystal and Rush is one of the last people who should be trying shame anyone. Moreover, you don’t answer to him. Who the hell is he? He can’t stop your shine! Keep doing you KB!
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) September 12, 2019
A well crafted and elegant response to an extraordinarily crude attempt to smear you. I, and all decent people, stand with you Krystal.
— Deep into History (@DeepintoHistory) September 12, 2019
Sue that man immediately!
— Brett Gartin (@Berninheart) September 12, 2019
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