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Iggy Azalea Threatens To Press Criminal Charges Against Whoever Leaked Topless Photos Of Her Online
The rapper deleted her social media accounts after the photos began to spread.
Rapper Iggy Azalea has threatened to pursue criminal charges after partially nude photos of her leaked online over the weekend.
The photos in question — previously unpublished outtakes from a 2016 GQ cover shoot — were spread online without her permission, leaving her feeling like a “ball of negative emotions,” the 28-year-old rapper wrote in a Twitter statement.
During the shoot, which took place on a closed set, she felt “comfortable” modeling topless because she believed that “only the images with my hands covering would be considered for print,” as she did not consent to taking partially nude photos that had the potential to be released, she explained.
“There was no reason for anyone to have kept the outtakes from the shoot,” she wrote. “I’m surprised and angry that they were not immediately deleted after the final images were selected.”
The leak left her feeling like a “ball of negative emotions,” she said, adding, “I feel blindsided, embarrassed, violated, angry, sad, and a million other things. Not solely because I did not consent to this — but also because of the vile way people have reacted.”
She went on to say that she will be making sure the culprit is held accountable for their actions.
“I fully intended on finding out where the leak originated from and pressing criminal charges in regards to this,” her statement reads. “It’s important to me that someone actually be held accountable for their actions & the way it impacts my life."
Following the leak, Azalea, born Amethyst Amelia Kelly, deleted both her Instagram and Twitter accounts, explaining in her since-deleted statement that the negativity she received after the photos were made public was overwhelming.
“Please think of how you might feel if the shoe was yours to wear,” she wrote. “I have seen some really vicious shit written in the last 24 hours and it is too much to handle. For now it’s best to keep my accounts deactivated.”
“Please be kinder to one another,” she finished.
The photographer who shot the photos, Nino Munoz, addressed the controversy in a social media statement of his own on Monday, alluding to an ongoing investigation and vowing that anyone who posted the photos will be “prosecuted.”
“I’m outraged and saddened to find out that images of mine were stolen and published without my permission. There is currently an investigation underway. Posting these stolen images is illegal and anyone who has done so will be prosecuted,” he wrote.
GQ has not yet commented publicly on the leak.
In her original statement, Azalea said that comments from men especially, who shared their “thoughts and fantasies” about her body, left her feeling “disturbed.” As a result, some fans united in support of the rapper using the “RespectIggy” hashtag.
