Vanessa Hudgens Reflects On Being the Victim of Nude Photo Leaks Over the Years
With the onset of the internet and the ability to send pictures through phone messaging apps, it was unfortunately only a matter of time before people would have their nude photos leaked out by hackers, especially when it comes to celebrities.
One particular celebrity who has had to endure the humiliation and embarrassment of these leaks is former High School Musical actress, Vanessa Hudgens. She has not only had to deal with one in 2007 but also another in 2009.
The 31-year-old sat down with Cosmopolitan magazine to share her thoughts on dealing with the whole disastrous experience.
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Unreal Embarrassment and Humiliation
Initially, Hudgens explained how it was so embarrassing that such private information and images were shared across the internet. Despite some actors and actresses wanting to remain in the spotlight as much as possible, others tend to value their privacy.
"It was a really traumatizing thing for me. It’s really f--ked up that people feel like they are entitled enough to share something that personal with the world. As an actor, you completely lose all grip of your own privacy and it’s really sad," she said.
But she also realized that if enough people find you interesting, they're going to go out of their way to find as much information about you.
"It feels like that shouldn’t be the case, but unfortunately if enough people are interested, they’re going to do everything they can to get to know as much about you as they can, which is flattering, I guess, but then people take it too far and end up divulging things that should be personal."
Hudgen's Perspective on a General Disconnect
Hudgens went on to discuss an interesting perspective on why she thinks people are compelled to pry into such personal matters of celebrities, citing a general disconnect between fans and the people that they can't seem to get enough of.
"I think that is because there’s a disconnect when you see your favorite actress on the screen, and you see them now on your TV in your homes, and you can watch them whenever you want. There’s almost – I don’t want to say lack of respect because that sounds negative – but it just makes you feel like you know them even though you don’t," the actress explained.
Learning Lessons through Painful Experiences
And although the experience was painful for her as she dealt with the fall out from the leaks, she did acknowledge that it provided her with the emotional strength to deal with troublesome issues moving forward, especially as it pertains to her being a woman, appreciating the strength that it takes to be an object in today's society, and handling mistreatment.
"I have been talked to in ways that are not appropriate. I have been in situations where I’ve been talked to in inappropriate ways, but right then, in that moment, I was the person to just say, ‘No. Why would you say that? You’re completely out of line,' she said.
Becoming Stronger and More In Control
Hudgens concluded that she's now more comfortable with walking away from situations where she feels unfairly treated, stemming from the nude photo leak scandals.
"I’m the type of person in any situation, whether it’s an audition or in work, if I feel uncomfortable, I’m going to walk away or let that person know they’re making me feel uncomfortable. Then, if they don’t respect that, they can go f--k off. If someone doesn’t like that, literally they can f--k off. As long as you hold your ground, no one will bring you down," Hudgens emphatically declared.
It's hard to understand the emotions and humiliation that Hudgens went through during these two incidents, but we're glad that she's found a silver lining to an otherwise horrific situation.
