Lena Dunham On Leaked Celebrity Photos: Don’t Blame the Victim

Image by Getty Images

By Anne Cohen September 2, 2014

Lena Dunham has a word of advice on how to handle conversations around the nude celebrity photos leaked over the weekend: don’t blame the victim.

In an acid tweet, the “Girls” star compared remarks like “don’t take nude pics if you don’t want them online” to dismissive attitudes about rape.

The “don’t take naked pics if you don’t want them online” argument is the “she was wearing a short skirt” of the web. Ugh.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)
I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Email(Required)

— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 1, 2014

On Sunday, a 4chan user posed revealing and nude photos supposedly hacked from the iCloud accounts of female celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, and Lea Michele.

While some have wisely pointed out that this huge breach of privacy is akin to a sex crime, media outlets from People Magazine to CNN have referred to the incident as a “scandal,” a term which places responsibility squarely on the victims’ shoulders.

On Monday, Dunham sent out a slew of tweets denouncing the language used to describe the leak, and called on people to stop sharing the images:

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

Remember, when you look at these pictures you are violating these women again and again. It’s not okay.

— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 1, 2014

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

Preach!

Anne Cohen was the Forward’s deputy digital media editor. When she’s not looking for the secret Jewish history of Voodoo in New Orleans, or making lists about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she writes for The Assimilator. She graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism with an M.S. magazine concentration in 2012.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO