Mischa Barton Sex Tape Leak: ‘The O.C.’ Star Opens Up About ‘Emotional Blackmail’

It’s been a rough road for Mischa Barton. The actress has struggled with partying, her mental health and, most recently, “emotional abuse.”

The troubled actress is set to appear on “The Dr. Phil Show” Monday to discuss her sex tape leak. In previews for the episode Barton calls the ordeal “blackmail,” maintaining that she had no knowledge she was being taped. She tells host Phil McGraw that the leaker was someone she loved and trusted, despite his abuses.

“Somebody came up to me on the street..and said there’s something I need to tell you and I didn’t believe it at first, I couldn’t believe it,” she recalls (via People). “Because I had loved this person and I didn’t think it was possible. And I later learned it was entirely possible.”

Barton’s “Dr. Phil Show” interview echos statements she delivered in an earlier press conference. The former “The O.C.” star called the sex tape leak her “absolute worst fear.” She revealed that the footage came from hidden cameras and was later shopped around.

“This is a painful situation, and my absolute worst fear was realized when I learned that someone I thought I loved and trusted was filming my most intimate and private moments, without my consent, with hidden cameras,” she said during the conference. “Then I learned something even worse: that someone is trying to sell these videos and make them public. I came forward to fight this not only for myself but for all the women out there.”

Barton enlisted the help of lawyer Laura Bloom, who has vowed to catch the perpetrator. In a statement posted on Twitter, she called the leak “revenge pornography,” sharing a threat from Barton. Together, the two are certain they’ll be able to catch the person responsible and file charges.

One day prior, Daily Mail reported that X-rated footage of the 31-year-old was being auctioned off. The bidding began at $500,000. Accompanying the news was an interview with “sex tape broker” Kevin Blatt, who thinks the person shopping the tape stole it.

“I believe the person or persons selling it may be in possession of stolen property,” he said in an email to NBC News. “Obviously without the permission of both parties in the tape, the potential sale would be futile.”

Barton isn’t the only star who had a sex tape leak in 2017, though she is among the most recent. Lira Galore, Amanda Seyfried, Fetty Wap, Trey Songz and more have had both explicit photos and videos of them go public.