When several nude photos of Rihanna leaked to the Web earlier this year, her representatives walked a careful line: They demanded that the images be removed from any site that had posted them, but avoided confirming that the singer was, in fact, the woman in the photos. Now Rihanna has acknowledged for the first time that the images were hers.
In an interview with NYC radio station Hot 97, flagged by People, Rihanna said that she took the snapshots for a then-boyfriend whom she did not name. She said she was understandably upset when the private pics became public knowledge: “It was the worst thing that could possibly ever happen to me.” The timing was especially bad, since a graphic photo showing the injuries inflicted on her by abusive ex Chris Brown had only recently been leaked. “I just felt like my whole privacy was taken before that [by the injury photo] and then, when that came out, I thought, ‘Oh great, so now there’s nothing they don’t know about me and my private life.’ It was humiliating and it was embarrassing.“
Of course it was. Leaking those photos at any time was a serious violation of Rihanna’s privacy; whoever leaked them at that particular moment, when she was already going through a very public tough time in her life, was pretty despicable. I don’t think Rihanna had any responsibility to talk about this subject, but now that she has, it’s a reminder of how hurtful and wrong it is to invade a person’s privacy like that — even a world-famous celebrity’s.
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Michael Jackson tops 2009 Google and Yahoo searches
Wiz Khalifa: Deal or No Deal, his buzz is growing
Lupe Fiasco raps over Radiohead’s ‘National Anthem’
Nick Jonas leaves the nest for solo tour
HBO airs Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts: Your favorite moments?
Photo credit: Dennis Van Tine/Retna Ltd
Its her fault she should not have taken the pics. And you left out the part where she says if youare not sending naked pics to your boyfriend I feel sorry for him.
Have a care. She is a normal human being, and that’s what normal human beings her age do. It’s not good to be that judgmental towards another person like that. It still was an invasion of privacy, regardless.
Really? Normal human beings take nude photos of themselves and make them available to the general public? I am glad that my daughters are somehow perceived as “abnormal”. Normal human beings my a**. Blah.
Normal my ass I am 27 So I was her age not too long ago. Age is not an excuse. At 22 you know better then to send naked pics she needs to get a clue.
Not defending it or anything but this does seem to be something younger women are doing more often now. There are articles on how high school girls are taking nude photos of themselves to send to boyfriends and how its becoming scarily more common. Plus not to be mean C-Love but 5 or 6 year diffrence in age is kinda long time apart for young people. And saying she was 22 would be a bad assumption since shes not even 22 now and she probably didnt take them this year anyway.
Age and a judgemental attitude is also not an excuse to lambast someone over something done in private. Even if, in Rihanna’s case, she was being wholly naive in thinking her pictures would remain private.
I think it is better to err on reaching out to our emphathatic side of humanity and feel sorry for what she has to go through. We may not take nude photos of ourselves, but we really have no right to tell her that she is or is not allowed to.
Everytime a star’s nude pictures or sex type gets “leaked” they act so surprised. They do it knowing good and well the chances are its going to be leaked. Yes she is human and yes it is terrible that she was abused by Chris Brown. For all we know she could have leaked themself to try to talk alittle focus of her being being beat up by Chris. We know this, that Rihanna didn’t have to go on the radio and admit those photos were of her. What was her motive there??????? If they want privavcy maybe they should keep more things left unsaid.
Not “all” normal human beings, but, yes, normal human beings take pictures of themselves in the nude to send to their boyfriends (not to the general public, mind you, but no one sent pictures to the “general public”). And, heck, normal human beings are naive, don’t always understand their reach and the consequences of their actions, and make mistakes.
Why shouldn’t she have taken those pictures?? She can do whatever she wants. It’s nobody else’s business but her own. Just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she’s a circus animal. She has a right to privacy.
When you become a celebrity like her, you give up the majority of your privacy. I am not saying its right, but you know the consequences. Don’t act so surprised when it happens.
She still has the right to be humiliated. Like I’ve said before, she is naive if she didn’t think it would get out, but the worse of two evils is absolutely someone willing to sell out someone else and publicly humiliate them while selfishly gaining for themselves. It’s like selling your soul.
I’m sorry, but where was the contract that says, “You will now give up the majority of your privacy?” Yes, it’s what happens, and it’s silly if celebrities don’t realize that to a degree. But there’s a difference between “Fine, I’ll be recognized in public” and “Fine, I’ll let every scrap of information about me become property of everyone around me”, and if you can’t tell the difference, there’s really no use explaining it.
Rihanna – go away and take your drama ridden life to someone who cares – don’t take them – no leaking
I think people are free to do what they want, although I hope they are aware of the consequences that might happen. I find it more despicable that somebody would purposely use hurtful photos to publicly humiliate someone for monetary gain. It really is the worse of two evils.
Sorry, but she has a smokin bod so I doubt very much that her nude photos were “humiliating”. In fact, if she didn’t think she looked good I promise you that she never would have sent them.
By that logic every person with a “smokin’ bod” should walk around naked while the fat people wear tarpees.
No, that just means she is pulling the classic CYA that all female celebs do – send sex tapes or nude videos and then claim to be “humiliated” when they are leaked. Sorry, something tells me that Kirstie Alley probably wouldn’t be videotaping herself or taking nude shots and sending them out. The only reason Rhianna send the pics is because she thought she looked good – end of story. Now if they were pics that were taken against her wishes or without her knowledge that is a different story.
Rihanna should have found a better use for her “Umbrella Ella, Ella, Ella.” Cover up girlfriend.
I strongly disagree….everyone’s gotten naked pictures from a significant other, and not everyone posts them on the internet.
I don’t think it’s “more despicable” given the Chris Brown thing, but it’s just wrong, period. You shouldn’t even show the pictures to your friends, let alone post them for the world to see.
This whole “if there are no pictures, there’s nothing to leak” thing is stupid, because you shouldn’t have to live your life accomodating creepy, unethical people invading your privacy.
everyone has naked pics of significant other – so where are your’s
What? Can you read what Brian just said? If I was being kind, that’s a non sequitur. If I’m not… well, I won’t go there.
I agree – if you don’t want nude photos leaked, don’t take them. Only dirty sluts give naked pics to their boyfriends.
Wow! You must really know her personally to imply that she is a dirty slut! Kind of judgemental, don’t you think?
naked pictures – why do you want or need them – aren’t you in love with the person – and not just certain body parts
OK, so if you call someone a dirty slut for sending nude pics to their lover, then you have a very boring sex life. There isn’t a man on this comment page that hasn’t made the attempt to see the pics. The only thing that I want to know is why she would call it embarrassing when she admitted to Seacrest that she walks around her house naked and that her pool man has seen her.
sex life – in the dark – no cameras – as how it should be
Sandy you have serious intimacy issues. Do you also agree with Sarah Palin that Levi’s naked pics are “porn”? Get over yourself.
I send pictures to my boyfriend who I’ve been with over 3years, does that make me a dirty slut? Sometimes people actually like to have fun with their sex lives, doesn’t make her a “slut”.
CAS, I’m sure you are not a slut. But you also don’t need to take digital pictures that could possibly humiliate you in the future to have fun with your sex life. That’s just dumb.
Simon, do you work for Rihanna? It’s a little disturbing how you’ve consistently agreed w/ every strange thing she’s done in the past year. w/ you, everything Rihanna does is always A-OK!
Abusive ex??? Stop downing Chris Brown. It takes two to tango, been there done that. Rhianna was just as abusive if not more than Chris throughout their relationship. Wait for the 20/20 interview.
I love both of them as artists, enough already let them move on!!!
Thats kind of a scary position to take because there are plenty of cases where its blatantly one sided not “two to tango”. I dont know if its the case with them though. Unless your saying she deserved it for saying or doing something out of line, then thats just disgusting position all together.
What are you smoking? Two to tango- last time I checked she had the busted face.
Wow. Just…. wow.
Regardless of what their ‘behind the scenes’ relationship was, I think it’s safe to say that in this case, Chris Brown was the one in the wrong. Did you see the physical result of his violence? A real man (or woman) wouldn’t raise their hand to another person, especially one they supposedly love. Get a clue.
I don’t typically attack people online, but you’re a complete idiot, and people like you are part of the reason why there are so many abusive relationships. That thug beat Rihanna up. She couldn’t do much physical damage to him, because he’s a lot bigger and stronger than she is. Might she have verbally and emotionally abused him? Sure, although we don’t know for sure. But THAT’S wrong, too. Here, you’re making the absolutely moronic claim that because she was bad to him, it’s OK that he was bad to her. Are you for real?? Wake UP!
I’m sorry to be so harsh (which is admittedly arguably a little hypocritical of me,) but this kind of thinking cannot continue in society. Please think about it.
Were you in there in private with Chris Brown and Rihanna? I ask this because how do you know she was violent towards him? Also it is safe to say the because she allegedly abused him it was ok for him to assault her? If that is the case, maybe everytime you argued with your bf/gf they should just haul off and pop you in the face, put you in a choke hold and bite you on the ear. Then maybe you have more sympathy for her and DV victims!
Here’s the problem with your logic: even if Rihanna was physically/verbally abusive to Chris Brown, he should have broken up with her. It’s not like he doesn’t have the means to escape, which is a big reason domestic violence victims often stay in harmful relationships. The only time such a violent reaction is halfway justified is if his life was in immediate danger. From what both of them have said with the incident, that’s not quite the case.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but Chris Brown’s assault looks so much worse in comparison to anything Rihanna might have done.
EW, please don’t categorize something like this under “News” if we’re going to get a moral lecture from the “author.” Editorializing isn’t news.
Um, it’s exactly categorized under “news,” the Music Mix section is a collection of news, reviews, blogs etc.
If you want actual news you really are on the wrong website.
I seem to recall seeing headlines on this site (and others) that she stated in a recent interview that women should take nude photos of themselves b/c they might not look this way in 5 yrs.
She came VERY close to true public humilation when these previous photos were almost leaked earlier this year. Obviously, she hasn’t learned her lesson. And now she’s recommending that other young women photograph themselves as well? This has nothing to do with age; it’s her maturity.
So, what will it take for her to stop spewing her idiocy? Her next naked photo session all over the internet?
Girls, don’t listen to this airhead!
Are you people kidding? You must be pretty old and/or naive to think that naked pictures are not exchanged btw a lot of couples, especially via cell phones. It may not be normal, but it happens in more than 50% percent of relationships I would wager. And it starts early, ask Vanessa Hudgens.
so how about showing us your pics
My eyes! They BURN! Heheh. But seriously, the difference between Rihanna and us mere mortals is that nobody wants to see nude photos of us. I could have a closet full of vids of myself in action and still feel secure because nobody’d ever want to touch them (Thus far I only have a drawerfull, hee hee).
Two to tango? Meaning what? One to hit and one to be hit? That is probably the dumbest thing anyone has ever said.
While I won’t condemn anyone for wanting to pose naked for their boyfriend/girlfriend, anyone who does it shouldn’t be ignorant on how easy it is for the pics to be leaked on the internet. You can trust your mate all you want with your private bits, but if you want any chance of that staying hidden between you two, don’t let the photos get taken. Otherwise, you’ll always run a risk of the photos being revealed to the internet for preying eyes. That rule goes double for women, and triple for female celebrities.
I can understand the disgust in cases like ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, having a hidden web cam recording her. With Rihanna, alas, since she’s a willing participant, she can’t fight back. Move on, and think twice about giving boyfriends nude photos if she really feels embarassed.
nasty she did it because she me a pimp cause chris not there it said pimp needed
You might want to revise what you just wrote, you sound drunk and looking at your comment my iq went down a couple of points.
Some people above have said that many young women these days send naked pictures to their boyfriends. The fact that you hear so many cases, of both famous and not famous people, where the pictures have gotten out to others, should be a lesson to not do this. The media, from movies, TV, music videos, fashion, has sexualized girls so much that girls think they have to be sexy or they are worthless. Parents need to work on helping their daughters with building self-esteem. My parents were always good at telling me that brains and personality were important, but that looks were an accident of birth. When I developed breasts at age 11, and wore a D cup in high school, they especially made me feel that although I got stared at, it was more about them people staring than me. I learned from them that looks are only a small part of what makes up a person, and that looks fade.
Uhm, yeah, horrible invasion of her privacy, no one should have to go through that, ect ect.
So… er… if I wanted to -find- these nude photos, where would they be?
Not that I do, because of course I don’t…. but hypothetically speaking?
Ahem.
She’s an idiot.