Some people say the only way to stop online harassment is to stop going online. Well, we aren't going anywhere. Reclaim Your Domain is Refinery29's campaign to make the internet (and the world outside of it) a safer space for everyone — especially women.
Lindsey Vonn, 32, has spoken out about how being the victim of leaked private photos after her cell phone was hacked. The photos were recently stolen from her phone and subsequently posted on a site known to have posted other leaked celebrity photos.
Her lawyer told Us Weekly in a statement, "it is an outrageous and despicable invasion of privacy for anyone to steal and illegally publish private intimate photos. Lindsey will take all necessary and appropriate legal action to protect and enforce her rights and interests. She believes the individuals responsible for hacking her private photos as well as the websites that encourage this detestable conduct should be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law."
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The photos stem from a relationship that she was in with Tiger Woods, 41, prior to their split in 2015. Other female celebrities were also victims in this same attack, and one of them has already begun pursuing legal action against the site that hosted the images. Refinery29 will not link to or post the images.
Let's be clear: this is a sex crime. It is a form of sexual harassment. This is not a "price to pay" for being famous. When we excuse this behavior as an inherent danger in a celebrity's job, we perpetuate the idea that women's bodies are objects available for entitled public consumption. All women, even famous ones, are deserving of a basic level of privacy as human beings. Lindsey Vonn is a decorated, Olympic gold medal-winning athlete, considered to be one the best ski racers in the world. It's disgusting that she should have to deal with this, as a public figure and as a woman.
Editor's note: This post originally identified Vonn as "Tiger Woods' Ex" in the headline. Vonn is much more than that, and we have amended the headline to reflect that.