Madison Beer has described the "traumatising experience" that saw her private photos leaked when she was just 14.
The 21-year-old singer sent "very private" photos and videos on Snapchat to a boy she "really liked" when she was a teenager, and her trust betrayed by him when he shared them amongst his friends, with the images eventually finding their way online.
And in honour of International Women’s Day on Sunday (08.03.20), Madison took to Twitter to share a lengthy post about the subject, as she called for an end to "shaming women".
She wrote: "i know there are some very significant things happening in the world right now that are very frightening so my intention with this message is not, in any way, to distract from them, but i do wanna talk today on International Women’s Day on the subject of shaming women.
"when i was around 14 and exploring my body & sexuality, i sent very private snapchat’s of my body to a boy i really liked at the time. i sent these, at 14, thinking i could trust the boy as we had known each other for years & shared feelings for one and other, but of course he shared it with all of his friends.
"eventually, that video was sent and shared by everyone (it felt like) in the entire world. i’d walk in to restaurants and be stared at and whispered about, i was told people were ashamed to be working, or even friends with me, these videos were even shown to my parents, grandparents, and significant people, executives, and artists in the music business. it eventually surfaced online.
"i was distraught and ashamed. this was a traumatizing experience that has instilled intense trust issues in me, that i’m still working on to this day. (sic)"
Madison claims she was recently told another of her old videos is being sent to people, and the news has "reopened" the "trauma and shame" she felt seven years ago.
She added: "this week on my 21st birthday i got calls from a few people close to me saying that another video, from 2013, sent to the same boy 7 years ago, was being sent around once again.
"if only i could express the trauma and shame this has reopened for me. all these years i’ve had perpetual anxiety. i’ve been in the dark and fearful of this snapchat re emerging as if it was a dirty secret i’ll always have to keep, because i was told it would damage by career and wasn’t okay. (sic)"
The ‘Hurts Like Hell’ singer closed her post by urging other women to "be kinder" to themselves, and to not "feel shame" over their "mistakes".
She concluded: "so today, on IWD i am going to free myself of this weight i carry. i am going to tell my 14 year old self the following which i hope may help some of you to be kinder to yourselves as young women.
"you should not feel shame. you were exploring your sexuality, you were learning. you should not feel like you did something wrong. shame on those who betrayed your trust & SHAME ON THOSE WHO SHAMED YOU.
"throughout this journey i’ve learned an extremely valuable lesson and by talking about this openly i can finally free myself of the fear and shame that has followed me for the past 7 years. now i can begin to move closer towards being the young women i want to be.
"own your mistakes as a young women learning about the world. don’t let them define you. don’t let them keep you in fear. (sic)"
Madison Beer describes ‘traumatising’ private photo leak
