Actress Jennifer Lawrence calls release of stolen photos disgusting

USPA News - Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has described the release of stolen nude photographs of herself as "absolutely disgusting," she said in an interview published on Tuesday, adding that the incident should be described as a sex crime rather than a scandal. Lawrence, 24, had kept quiet about the release of her photographs in late August but said she had initially been tempted to write a public statement.

"Every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don`t have anything to say I`m sorry for," she told Vanity Fair magazine. Hundreds of photos and several videos of more than a dozen celebrities emerged on August 31 when they were posted by an unidentified person to imageboard website 4chan. The stolen images quickly spread on social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook when several of the victims confirmed the photos were authentic. Two more batches of images were released in late September. "Just because I`m a public figure, just because I`m an actress, does not mean that I asked for this," Lawrence told the magazine. "It does not mean that it comes with the territory. It`s my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can`t believe that we even live in that kind of world." Lawrence explained during the interview with Vanity Fair that the intimate photos of herself were made during a four-year-long relationship. "I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he`s going to look at you," she said. Many media outlets have continued to refer to the nude photos as a scandal, but Lawrence emphasized that it should be treated as a sex crime and called for laws to address the publication of such images. "It is a sexual violation. It`s disgusting. The law needs to be changed," she said. "That`s why these websites (which hosted them) are responsible." The `Hunger Games` star discussed how she had to call her father after leaning about the release of the photos, describing it as a terrible moment. "When I have to make that phone call to my dad and tell him what happened ... I don`t care how much money I get for `The Hunger Games`," she said. "I promise you, anybody given the choice of that kind of money or having to make a phone call to tell your dad that something like that has happened, it`s not worth it." Lawrence also vented her frustration at those who went to look at her nude pictures, which includes people she knows personally. "Anybody who looked at those pictures, you`re perpetuating a sexual offense. You should cower with shame," the actress told the magazine. "Even people who I know and love say, `Oh yeah, I looked at the pictures.`" The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) previously said it had launched an investigation into the theft of the photos, but no arrests had been made as of Tuesday, and Lawrence said she was not sure if those responsible would ever be caught. "I`m not crying anymore. I can`t be angry anymore. I can`t have my happiness rest on these people being caught, because they might not be. I need to just find my own peace," she said. It is believed the images were stolen through a recent flaw in Apple`s iCloud service, which automatically stores copies of photos taken by iPhones. The bug allowed a malicious user to repeatedly guess passwords on Apple`s "Find my iPhone" service without alerting the user or locking out the attacker. Apple later confirmed that dozens of celebrities had their accounts accessed through "a very targeted attack." In terms of volume, fashion model Ali Michael was the worst hit by the August release, with nearly 150 photos and seven videos of her having been published. `Sports Illustrated` model Kate Upton saw more than 100 photos and several videos being published, including nude and intimate images with her partner Justin Verlander. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who is best known for her roles in `Final Destination 3` and two of the `Die Hard` movies, previously expressed her fury at the release of at least six nude photos. "To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, [I] hope you feel great about yourselves," she wrote on Twitter. Dozens of photographs showing `Nickelodeon` star Victoria Justice were also being circulated, including photos in which her breasts are exposed. Although the actress initially claimed that the pictures were fake, she later released a statement in which she said she "was faced with a serious violation of privacy" and said she was pursuing legal action. Eight photographs of actress Becca Tobin - some of which show her nude next to a Christmas tree - were also published, to which the actress responded on Twitter: "Merry XXXmas!" Other victims include Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney, who has said she was underage at the time the photos were taken, making them child pornography. English actress Jessica Brown Findlay, who is best known for her role in `Downton Abbey,` was also a victim of the theft, with eleven photos and seven videos being circulated, some of which show her in extremely intimate situations with a partner. Australian actress Teresa Palmer and `Spider-Man` actress Kirsten Dunst were also victims of the theft.