What Is Revenge Porn? Mischa Barton Not The First Victim Of Cyber Harassment

After actress Mischa Barton learned an ex-boyfriend had secretly taken photos and recorded her nude, and threatened to make them public by offering them to the highest bidder, she decided to take legal action. The 31-year-old, known for her role on Fox television program, "The O.C.," filed a restraining order Wednesday to combat the graphic invasion of privacy known as "revenge porn."

"I came forward to fight this not only for myself but for all the women out there," Barton told reporters. "I want to protect them from the pain and humiliation that I have had to go through. No woman should have to go through this."

Read: Mischa Barton Now: Leaked Sex Tape With Naked Images Is ‘Revenge Pornography’ Video

Revenge porn—the nonconsensual posting of nude images of an individual online—is considered a form of harassment and more than 30 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed it. In 2014, Israel became the first country to ban revenge porn.

Although Barton is one of a few famous victims to speak out, she’s hardly the first to experience it.

Film actress Jennifer Lawrence called the invasion of privacy a “sex crime” after her nude photos were leaked online in 2014. Although Lawrence wasn’t explicitly the victim of revenge porn—hackers stole her photos, not an ex-lover—she was the victim of a crime with a similar principle: intimate images were stolen and posted without her consent.

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The practice of revenge porn has been around for several years. In 2012, Prince Harry was the victim of the harassment when online photos surfaced of him partying nude in Las Vegas. Although it wasn’t clear who had leaked the pictures, the culprit was allegedly a member of his Las Vegas group.

Pop singer Rihanna was another victim in 2009 when nude photos of her were leaked online, shortly after her widely publicized breakup with singer Chris Brown.

Brown, who was charged with felony assault against Rihanna, denied speculation that he had anything to do with the pictures. Rihanna said the leaked photos were "the worst thing that could possibly ever happen.”