The FBI has opened an investigation this morning after hackers flooded internet message boards yesterday with hundreds of nude photos of celebrities, apparently stolen off their cell phones and computers. Among the victims: Ariana Grande, the teeny-bopping star from South Florida.
Most of the celebs involved, including Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, have confirmed the pictures are legit and asked law enforcement to find the perpetrators. Grande, however, says her photos are Photoshopped.
"The photos are completely fake," a Grande spokesman tells Buzzfeed this morning.
If so, Grande's pics are the rare exception in a case that has set the internet aflame and sparked a vigilante hunt among other online sleuths to out the hackers who leaked the private photos.
The photos began appearing yesterday on sites like Reddit and 4Chan and were apparently stolen by a loosely organized crew of hackers. Some members of the group asked for donations after leaking the photos, and there's some evidence they were selling the pics before the mass leak yesterday.
Victims of the ring have blasted both the perpetrators and the hordes of internet users who flocked to message boards to check out the stolen pics yesterday.
To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves.
— Mary E. Winstead (@M_E_Winstead) August 31, 2014Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Feeling for everyone who got hacked.
— Mary E. Winstead (@M_E_Winstead) August 31, 2014Lawrence has called for anyone sharing the photos to face prosecution, and the feds have confirmed they're on the case.
"The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high-profile individuals, and is addressing the matter," the FBI tells the L.A. Times. "Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time."
Grande, who was born in Boca Raton and was educated at North Broward Preparatory School, rocketed to stardom last year with "The Way," a Top 10 Billboard hit. She boasts 18 million Twitter followers, and her first album debuted atop the Billboard charts.
She has yet to address the leaked photos except for her spokesman's statement to Buzzfeed.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
