As his nude photographs went viral last Wednesday, Justin Bieber likely called his legal team and asked them, “Where are you now that I need you?” *bass drops*
It was the leak seen ’round the world. After months of speculating whether or not Justin Bieber’s risque Calvin Klein ads were Photoshopped to enhance the pop star’s bulge, the world received confirmation the Biebs was packing heat.
The grainy images show Bieber vacationing in Bora Bora with model and Bae of the Week, Jade Pierce. While Pierce is covered by a robe in the pictures, Bieber is without clothing from all angles as he enters in and out of a hot tub.
But no one stopped to wonder how the New York Daily News got these images. Instead, Twitter users retweeted them with the caption “What do you peen?”
Stars are endlessly tormented by paparazzi. Some argue they signed up for this. But what they didn’t sign up for was an unseen vulture zooming in on their junk.
A star of Justin Bieber’s caliber isn’t going to bear it all unless he’s under the impression he’s isolated — which he likely paid a pretty penny to ensure. This isn’t the Beiber from years past who publicly peed on things and threw eggs at people’s houses. This is the Comeback Biebs, who is on the up and up.
Yet someone — likely a middle-aged man — caught Bieber when his guard was down and probably received a hefty paycheck for the revealing images.
How is this okay?
The internet collectively freaking out over these images is repulsing. This is a human being. Sure, he’s a punk, but he doesn’t deserve to have his genitals exposed for the world to see.
These aren’t nudes in the vein of 2014’s Celebgate hack. Bieber didn’t try to take sexy pictures of himself. These were taken without his knowledge when he had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
It’s interesting Bieber hasn’t embraced the “Always On” persona celebrities of his level have. When someone is as big as Bieber, they assume someone is always watching them.
For example, while Taylor Swift was on vacation with the Haim sisters in January 2015, she posted a picture of herself in her bikini to her Instagram account. This was surprising because the image revealed Swift’s belly button — something she coyly admitted to hiding from the world to keep a sense of mystery.
When asked about the belly button picture, Swift admitted to finally showing her’s off because her security team discovered paparazzi watching her from far away with zoom-in lenses.
Swift figured if she posted the image before the paparazzi could, she would take away their profit and power over her.
I imagine Bieber’s security detail didn’t discover lurking paparazzi, or they would have attempted to obtain the images.
Celebrities shouldn’t have to barter with creepy photographers over their privacy. Swift shouldn’t have to worry about someone zooming in on her belly button. Bieber shouldn’t have to worry about someone zooming in on his junk.
Yes, #Biebergate will go down in infamy, but we can stop these situations from happening by not sharing the images when they’re leaked.
Celebrities are people too. How would you feel if someone leaked grainy pictures of your naked shenanigans?
John Gavin Harp is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from St. Francisville, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @SirJohnGavin.