In a frank new interview, singer Madison Beer has shared an important update about a very personal and upsetting experience from her past. Beer said that the boy who shared nude pictures of her when she was just a teenager has contacted her to say he was sorry for the hurt he caused.
Talking to Cosmopolitan for her recent online magazine cover story, the 26-year-old artist looked back at the terrible effect of the picture leak that happened when she was 15. The sharing of private pictures without her permission put her under a lot of online attention and caused her great emotional pain.
“The boy who the whole nude picture thing happened with, he contacted me and said, ‘I didn’t know that I hurt you this much. I’m really sorry,'” Beer said. This admission and expression of regret are a big step in her process of getting better.
Beer, who has talked before about the deep and lasting effects of the leak, including dealing with sadness and thoughts of suicide, shared a thoughtful view on the situation. “I don’t know what it’s like to be a 14-year-old boy getting photos of a girl,” she said. “Maybe I’m just hoping for the best, but I don’t think he meant to be mean by showing them to his friends. He was a kid.”
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While recognizing that the person was young at the time, Beer has also spoken strongly about the bigger issues in society about sharing private pictures and blaming the person who was hurt. She stressed how important it is to hold people responsible for what they do and the need for better safety for young people online.
This recent news about an apology gives us a look into Beer’s ongoing journey of dealing with a painful time in her life. It shows that people can grow and take responsibility, even many years after something bad happens. While the hurt from such actions might never fully go away, the act of saying sorry for the pain caused can be a key part of healing and finding some peace.