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Iggy Azalea breaks silence after her topless GQ photos leak
28 May 2019, 12:01
"I feel blindsided, embarrassed, violated, angry, sad and a million other things."
Iggy Azalea has spoken out for the first time since intimate photos from a photoshoot with GQ Australia were leaked.
Over the weekend, nude photos of the "Sally Walker" rapper that were taken almost three years ago emerged online. Iggy deactivated both her Instagram and Twitter accounts following the leak.
The photos were taken as part of a shoot for GQ Australia's Woman Of The Year issue from December 2016, in which Iggy was the cover star. In the published pics, Iggy posed braless, wearing only a wet white t-shirt. However, she was also photographed topless and the photos didn't make it to print.
In the published GQ article, Iggy mentioned that she had sent a signed topless pic as a thank you to her plastic surgeon Dr. Ghavami, who she had received a breast augmentation and rhinoplasty (nose job) from that same year. He later posted the signed image to his Instagram, but covered her boobs with horse emojis.
It's not known how the photos made their way online, but the photographer who took the pictures, Nino Muñoz, said that the images were "stolen and published without his permission" on Instagram.
Iggy has now responded to the leak on Twitter in a lengthy note, before deactivating her account again.
She wrote: "Recently some outtakes from my 2016 GQ magazine cover were leaked to the public. A lot of high profile women have shot covers for GQ with a strategically placed hand etc covering their breasts etc. I always felt they were very beautiful covers, so I jumped at the opportunity.
"I hadn't seen other women's covers leak so I felt felt comfortable (on a closed set) to model for such a reputable magazine knowing only the images with my hands covering would be considered for print. I never consented to taking topless pictures for potential release, period. It was my understanding BEFORE shooting, GQ do not print topless pictures.
"There was no reason for anyone to have kept the outtakes from the shoot. I'm surprised and angry that they were not immediately deleted after the final images were selected.
"Today Im a ball of negative emotions. I feel blindsided, embarrassed, violated, angry, sad and a million other things. Not solely because I did not give my consent to this – but also because of the vile way people have reacted.
"A lot of the comments I see from men in particular taking things even further and sharing their thoughts and fantasies in regards to my body has honestly disturbed me. The outright wicked things people say is overwhelming & makes me feel like throwing up.
"If you've ever been humiliated before in front of family & those you care about maybe you can relate to what I'm going through.
"It's like a nuclear bomb that explodes and not only destroys you emotionally, but leaves a path of destruction in your personal life, effecting your relationships & people who matter most too."
Iggy Azalea releases statement following the deactivation of her social media accounts after GQ photoshoot topless outtakes leaked.
— Pop Alarms 🚨 (@Pop_Alarms) May 27, 2019
She states that a lot of women have done this topless shoot but it never gets released and she will keep her accounts deactivated for now. pic.twitter.com/NfEmjw7TJ0
GQ are yet to release a statement on the situation and it is still unknown how they were leaked. However, Iggy added that she will be taking the matter further.
She continued: "I fully intended on finding out where the leak originated and pressing criminal charges in regards to this. It's important to me that someone actually be held accountable for their actions & the way it impacts my life.
"I don't feel there is any where I can retreat to or that I have a 'happy place' I can wait in until it all blows over. Please think of how you might feel if the shoe was yours to wear. I have seen some really vicious shit written in the last 24 hours and it is too much negativity for me to handle. For now it's best to keep my accounts deactivated.
"Please be kinder to one another."
