Actress Mischa Barton and her attorney Lisa Bloom are holding a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the sexually explicit images that are reportedly being “shopped around” on the internet. Barton has said that she does not consent to the images being published, and believes that they were initially taken without her consent. Watch the press conference live in the player above.
In a statement before the press conference, Bloom said that she and Barton plan on using the full extent of the last against anyone who traffics the images. Bloom will discuss specific legal actions in greater detail at the presser, but she previously noted that California has strict laws against spreading sexual images of a person without permission, also known as “revenge porn.”
Update 3/15/17 1:25pm: At the press conference, Barton said that the images were taken by someone whom she had dated, through the use of hidden cameras and without her consent. “It is a very hard thing to do, but I am glad that I am finally standing up for myself,” Barton said.
Bloom said that because the individual who created the images was someone Barton had dated, domestic violence laws applied, and she used those laws to obtain a restraining order to protect Barton from him. Bloom said that the court has also blocked the distribution or showing of any videos or photographs that he took. Bloom acknowledged that she was aware of reports that “very large sums being requested” connected to the possible sale of the images, and that a police investigation is currently underway.
[Image via screengrab]