Iggy Azalea Breaks Silence On Topless Photo Leak

Updated May 29, 2019 at 2:41 AM

Iggy Azalea said she feels “blindsided” and “violated” after topless photo outtakes from a 2016 GQ Australia shoot leaked without her consent.

The rapper suspended both her Twitter and Instagram accounts while she deals with the aftermath of the leak. Azalea wrote a message to her fans on Twitter before she signed off, explaining that she didn’t ever want the photos publicly released.

“I hadn’t seen other women’s covers leak so I 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,” the rapper said, according to screenshots of the now-deleted tweets.

Azalea added that she was “surprised and angry” the outtakes weren’t deleted after the shoot. “I never consented to taking topless pictures for potential release, period.”

Iggy Azalea attends the Swisher Sweets Awards on April 12 in West Hollywood, California.  (Photo: Leon Bennett via Getty Images) — Iggy Azalea attends the Swisher Sweets Awards on April 12 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo: Leon Bennett via Getty Images)

“Today I’m a ball of negative emotions. I feel blindsided, embarrassed, violated, angry, sad, and a million other things,” she said. “Not solely because I did not consent to this ― but also because of the vile way people have reacted.”

Azalea vowed to prosecute the perpetrator who released the pics.

“I fully intended on finding out where the leak originated from 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,” she said.

GQ Australia editor Michael Christensen told HuffPost on Wednesday that they were ”very disappointed to learn that outtakes from a 2016 photo shoot which were not approved or intended for publication appear to have been stolen from the photographer.”

Christensen added, “We understand an investigation is underway and join the condemnation of the publication of these images.”

Azalea arrives at Diesel 'Spirit of the Brave' Perfume Launch Party on May 21 in Paris, France.  (Photo: Edward Berthelot via Getty Images) — Azalea arrives at Diesel 'Spirit of the Brave' Perfume Launch Party on May 21 in Paris, France. (Photo: Edward Berthelot via Getty Images)

The photographer, Nino Mu?oz, also shared a statement about the leak on Instagram.

“I’m outraged and saddened to find out that images of mine were stolen and published without my permission,” Mu?oz wrote on Monday. “There is currently an investigation underway. Posting these stolen images is illegal and anyone who has done so will be prosecuted.”

Mu?oz added that he empathizes “with any discomfort that this situation has caused to anyone that is involved.”