In late August 2011, the Hollywood Hackers group, or possibly Hollywood Leaks, leaked Julianne Hough’s personal photos from her phone.
It made news everywhere and it was right at the time she was promoting Footloose. Typically when hackers leak celebrities’ photos, it’s a bunch of nude and scandalous photos that were never intended to be seen by the public. However, because Julianne Hough apparently didn’t have any nude photos to leak, the hackers leaked photos of her in her swimsuit and her sporting a fake mustache instead.
An article on Naked Security hints that Julianne possibly leaked them herself but doesn’t come out right to say it.
“There’s nothing particularly salacious to be found in the photos that have been published – Julianne has a reputation for being a ‘good girl’ – but clearly the photos of her posing in her bikini and sunbathing were intended for her eyes only (or at least hers and perhaps Ryan Seacrest’s),” the article reads. “Those hoping for titillating images of the dancer topless or doing a watusi with Ryan Seacrest will be mightily disappointed.”
Julianne has pretty much always been known as a “good girl” in Hollywood. She was raised Mormon and typically isn’t seen out getting drunk (except this time) and cheating on boyfriends. When E! News covered this “scandal” in 2011, I can vividly remember Giuliana Rancic applauding Julianne for not having any nudes leaked. She called her a “good girl.”
I cannot find a clip of that anywhere and E! News won’t return my emails (yes, I really emailed them asking for a clip), but I remember it. This was 2011 when Julianne’s then-boyfriend Ryan Seacrest was an anchor on E! News, so it’s no surprise they chose to praise her in such a weird way.
A few weeks after the leak, the host from The Logan Morning Show asked Julianne about the photos while she was in studio promoting Footloose.
“Perez actually said something nice about you,” the host says. “Like, wow, it’s refreshing. Nothing going on. They were just like a boring couple shots with Ryan and that was that and you just seem like a regular person and we couldn’t even get racy photos from you.”
“I’m sorry that I’m so boring, guys,” Julianne says, joking.
Another host asked her how she found about about the leak and Julianne says she found out via a gossip site. Julianne added that she had no idea if she could even press charges, and that’s when her Footloose co-star Kenny Wormald jumps in and tells the hosts that they have some big guys out back who will take care of the hackers. The uncomfortable conversation thankfully ends.
During an interview with STAR 101.3 FM in San Francisco, the female host asks Julianne about the leaked photos (she was also asked about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in the military). Kenny Wormald offers up that if stars don’t want their photos leaked they shouldn’t take them (oh my god, like none of Kenny’s girlfriends have sent him a nude, i am rolling my eyes).
“Unless I looked like this, then I would be taking those photos all the time,” the host says pointing to Julianne.
Julianne says she further secured her phone with an IT person and that it was an invasion of privacy.
“I think it’s more serious than people realize. It’s not just your phone. It’s emails and it’s not even about who you are or what pictures there are, that’s just invasion of privacy in general.”
Just PMSing 