Thursday, paparazzi photographed a topless Sara Sampaio sunbathing on a yacht in Saint Tropez.
As those unauthorized photos began to appear on social media and web outlets, the Victoria’s Secret model quickly Tweeted her disapproval of the “disgusting” invasion of privacy.
“Some people have absolutely no respect for people’s privacy,” wrote Sampaio in a Thursday afternoon Tweet. “Completely disgusting!”
Saturday, she offered an expanded response on Facebook.
“How would you feel if you woke up one morning to find pictures of your 25yr old daughter topless all over the internet? Your daughter had done nothing wrong, she was sunbathing, she was not in a public place, she was privately minding her own business,” asks Sampaio in the letter.
Sampaio confirms that she was unaware the photos were being taken. She also criticizes the notion that her status as a public figure — or as a lingerie and swimsuit model — should make the unauthorized photos acceptable.
“Some of you may say that I’m a public figure and it comes with my job…Others that I’m used to being photographed in swimsuits,” notes Sampaio. “There is a difference though. Its my job, yes I get paid for taking pictures, but I give my consent to take them. I have my professional life and I have my private life. We all go to work, some to an office, some to a studio, but when we come home people should respect our privacy.”
Criticizing the invasion of privacy, Sampaio notes, “As a young woman I feel violated.”
She also notes that the release of the photos spurred body shaming.
“Not only do I wake up to see pictures of myself all over the internet but then I also have to suffer abuse from people body shaming me. I’m proud of my figure. I know I’m not perfect, far from it, but it’s who I am and I work hard to stay in shape. Why are people so quick to objectify women, to comment that this part of their body is too small, or that that part is too big.”
Sampaio concludes her letter with a hope that the photographer who sold the pictures never has to wake up to naked pictures of his daughter on the Internet. She asks the press to stop funding such photos, and urges body shamers to show more compassion and love.
