Apparently, it was only a matter of time before Emma Watson fell victim to a new "Celebgate" scandal -- sort of. An anonymous person threatened the "Beauty and the Beast" star with a nude photo hack, but it turned out to be a hoax years ago. A new hacking of Emma Watson's private photos stolen recently is reportedly true. Lucky for her, the "Potter" actress was not undressed in the images that appeared online this week.
The beginnings
Back in 2014, an unnamed person or group created an ominous online clock with a threat targeting Emma Watson. It simply read, "Emma you are next." Reportedly, the alleged hacker warned Watson that stolen private nude photos would be posted online when the clock ticks down to zero.
Sources report that the harassment was part of an elaborate hoax and was orchestrated not long after the infamous Celebgate scandal came to light that involved the leaking of nude celebrity photos online. Furthermore, the threats to out Emma Watson's private photos came on the heels of a controversial speech she made in the name of feminism.
A bone to pick
Luckily, there were no nudes of Emma as the entire thing was a prank of sorts. Ostensibly, the jokers used the stunt to compel authorities to shut down the infamous 4Chan site, reportedly over its supposed lack of moderation and enforcement. The prankster took issue with how easy it was for someone to post stolen nude photos of celebrities (Kate Upton, Jennifer Lawrence and others) and revenge porn.
Although the past incident involving a threat to divulge Watson's stolen private photos never panned out, someone hacked Emma's private pictures without her consent. Her publicist said, “Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen,” before adding, "they are not nude photographs.
Furthermore, the actress has retained legal counsel to pursue charges against the culprit(s).
Reportedly, some images claiming to be part of Emma Watson's private stolen photos are circulating online and show her in various forms of undress. Reportedly, these nude images are Photoshopped representations.
