Actress Released Her Own Nude Photos to Preempt Blackmailer: 'Those Accusations Really Broke Me'

Actress Bella Thorne has revealed the emotional toll of a 2019 blackmail attempt, recounting how she preemptively released her own nude photos to regain control of the situation. Appearing on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Thorne shared that her decision was intended to thwart a hacker's threats.

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You're not going to take this from me anymore. Here they are.

"You're not going to take this from me anymore. Here they are," Thorne told the podcast host, explaining her motivation to make the decision hers, not the blackmailer's. However, instead of support, she faced a wave of public condemnation and accusations of staging the event for attention. "People said I was doing it just to show my body. They claimed I wanted everyone to see my intimate photos and that I had staged it all. That really broke me," she admitted.

Thorne described feeling devastated, angry, and desperate, sharing a tearful video on Instagram at the time. The situation took an unexpected turn when the FBI contacted her, believing they knew the suspect's identity. Her home was soon filled with agents as she began cooperating with the investigation.

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People said I was doing it just to show my body. They claimed I wanted everyone to see my intimate photos and that I had staged it all. That really broke me.

For over a year, Thorne provided the FBI with messages and data, including screenshots of conversations. She believes these screenshots were crucial in identifying the suspect, stating, "If I hadn't released those messages, maybe they would never have connected him to the case or it would have taken much longer." She credits the suspect's recognizable writing style, captured in the messages she released, for leading investigators to him. Thorne now feels her decision, though controversial at the time, was the right one, ultimately aiding law enforcement.

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If I hadn't released those messages, maybe they would never have connected him to the case or it would have taken much longer.