The industry gets involved. After naked photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, and more celebrities leaked online from a phone hacking scheme this past weekend, their Hollywood peers reacted on social media, expressing outrage about the gross invasion of privacy.
Emma Watson condemned not only the hackers who released the private photographs, but also those who blamed the celebrities, rather than the hackers, in the scandal.
Even worse than seeing women's privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy.
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) September 1, 2014
Watson is close friends with Jennifer Lawrence, whose rep told Us Weekly that the hacking scandal was a "flagrant violation of privacy."
Like Watson, Lena Dunham beseeched fans to empathize with the victims. "Remember, when you look at these pictures you are violating these women again and again," the Girls creator wrote Monday, Sept. 1. "It's not okay."
The way in which you share your body must be a CHOICE. Support these women and do not look at these pictures.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 1, 2014
Seriously, do not forget that the person who stole these pictures and leaked them is not a hacker: they're a sex offender.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 1, 2014
Actor Seth Rogen likened the photo leak to selling stolen goods.
Posting pics hacked from someone's cell phone is really no different than selling stolen merchandise.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) August 31, 2014
I obviously am not comparing women to merchandise. Just legally speaking, it shouldn't be tolerated to repost stolen pics.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) August 31, 2014
Raising Hope actor Lucas Neff, meanwhile, took it a step further and compared the stolen photos to sexual assault.
Stealing someone's naked photos is the same as tearing someone's clothes off in public. It's sexual assault.
— Lucas Neff (@RealLucasNeff) September 1, 2014
Unlike his peers, outrageous British comedian Ricky Gervais found himself in some hot water after showing a lack of sympathy for the victims. "Celebrities, make it harder for hackers to get nude pics of you from your computer by not putting nude pics of yourself on your computer," he wrote in a now-deleted tweet. After fans attacked Gervais for his lack of sensitivity to the scandal, the Office star played off his initial comment as a joke. "Offense is the collateral damage of free speech," he wrote Monday. "Making a joke about a thing doesn't mean you condone that thing."
Of course the hackers are 100% to blame but you can still makes jokes about it. Jokes don't portray your true serious feelings on a subject
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) September 1, 2014
"Comedian in hot water" pic.twitter.com/BlohggXe6l
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) September 2, 2014
The FBI is currently investigating the iCloud leak and told the Associated Press on Monday that they were "aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and [are] addressing the matter."