When Vanessa Hudgens's nude photos were stolen and made public without her consent, it was 2007, the star had just turned 18, and her career was skyrocketing thanks to her success in High School Musical. At the time, Vanessa apologized for the leak even though it certainly wasn't her fault. Now, with more than a decade to reflect, Vanessa talked about the leak with a different tone, recognizing it for what it was: a gross invasion of her privacy.
In a new interview with Cosmopolitan UK, Vanessa said having her private photos splashed across the internet was "traumatizing," calling it "f*cked up" that certain people think they have unfettered access to her body just because she's a celebrity.
"It was a really traumatizing thing for me. It’s really f*cked up that people feel like they are entitled enough to share something that personal with the world. As an actor, you completely lose all grip of your own privacy and it’s really sad," Vanessa said. "It feels like that shouldn’t be the case, but unfortunately if enough people are interested, they’re going to do everything they can to get to know as much about you as they can, which is flattering, I guess, but then people take it too far and end up divulging things that should be personal."
Vanessa brought up an important line that so often gets crossed: Just because someone is in the public eye doesn't mean they owe it to fans to divulge everything about themselves, and they certainly don't owe it to anyone to reveal their bodies in ways they don't want to.
"I think that is because there’s a disconnect when you see your favorite actress on the screen, and you see them now on your TV in your homes, and you can watch them whenever you want," Vanessa continued, explaining why some people think celebrities are for the taking. "There’s almost — I don’t want to say lack of respect because that sounds negative — but it just makes you feel like you know them even though you don’t."
Regardless of celebrity, each person can choose how, when, and to whom they want to show their body. Taking away that choice is a violation of consent, and a serious invasion of privacy.
While the world treated these types of leaks much more insensitively in the past, the #MeToo movement has seen a large reckoning with any kind of violation of consent. When asked about the #MeToo movement, Vanessa said she's been mistreated and has learned how to stand up for herself.
"I have been talked to in ways that are not appropriate. I have been in situations where I’ve been talked to in inappropriate ways, but right then, in that moment, I was the person to just say, 'No. Why would you say that? You’re completely out of line,'" she said. "I’m the type of person in any situation, whether it’s an audition or in work, if I feel uncomfortable, I’m going to walk away or let that person know they’re making me feel uncomfortable. Then, if they don’t respect that, they can go f*ck off."
