Georgia Harrison has admitted she will never be the same person again after her horrific revenge porn ordeal with Stephen Bear.
The former Love Island star, 28, was devastated when her ex Stephen, 33, uploaded footage of the two having sex to his OnlyFans account without her consent.
Former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star Stephen earned £2,000 from it and was sentenced in March to 21 months in prison on voyeurism and two counts of ‘revenge porn’.
Now Georgia has opened up about how the ordeal “changed” her forever and said she will never be the same person again.
She shared how the experience made her “more resilient” and that she regained her confidence after the ordeal took a toll on her mental health.
Hard times: Georgia Harrison has admitted she will never be the same person again after her horrific revenge porn ordeal with Stephen Bear
She told The Sun: “I’ll never be the same person again, those things definitely change you.”
“But people are constantly evolving at every stage of their lives, no matter what pushes them to be a new version of themselves. So I definitely don’t feel like I’m the same person that I was, but I feel really, really confident and happy in myself and happy with the stage in my life that I’m in.’
Comparing the revenge porn ordeal to grief, Georgia said her feelings came in “waves” and she needed to be “patient” with herself.
“I always say: Victims of image-based sexual abuse are very similar to a grieving process, like losing a friend or family member,” she said.
The reality TV star said she went to therapy after the ordeal left her mentally drained, but said she generally uses more holistic healing methods.
She also explained how victims of sexual abuse struggle with trust issues, sharing how it is “detrimentally” affecting her dating life and making her worry that people will think “differently” about her.
Georgia admitted she struggled with those thoughts, but said if the opposite happened, she wouldn’t “judge” anyone for a revenge porn ordeal.
Amid her struggles with the horrific experience, Georgia also admitted she was trolled online and had to develop a thick skin to deal with the cruel comments.
Jailed: Georgia’s ex Stephen, 33, uploaded footage of them having sex to his OnlyFans without her consent and has been sentenced to 21 months in prison on voyeurism and two counts of “revenge porn”.
After her own revenge porn ordeal, Georgia was among those calling for a change in government legislation, which eventually passed in late June.
She recently traveled to the Department of Justice to meet with Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk to discuss why it is important the revenge porn law changes.
Revenge pornography was criminalized in 2015, but the amendment makes prosecution easier as it removes the obligation for prosecutors to prove perpetrators who attempted to cause trouble in order to secure a conviction.
Passing on pictures without consent should also become a basic offense and be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of six months.
Georgia has previously said she believes things are going in the right direction and has faith in the UK government.
“I really believe they care about the individual and are doing everything they can to protect the victims but also the younger generation,” she said.
“This is a change in history and it will always be remembered.”
Not only has Georgia lobbied for a change in the law, but it has also partnered with Superdrug to launch its own brand of condoms.
Struggles: Now Georgia has compared the revenge porn ordeal to grief, saying her feelings have come in “waves” and that she needs to have “patience” with herself
The condoms’ packaging notes the importance of consent in tackling what it calls “destructive, non-consensual sexual behavior”.
The retailer has also worked with UK sexual health charities Brook and Fumble, as well as UK Says No More and the Switchboard National LGBTQ+ Helpline.
Activist Georgia wrote of the partnership in an Instagram post: “If you didn’t already know, consent is something I care deeply about.”
“That’s why I’m proud to partner with Superdrug and announce that I’m their new brand ambassador for their consent campaign.”
“Today, Superdrug launched You Before Yes to address the important issues not only related to sexual consent, but consent in general.
“The goal is to train and empower you to find your own voice and to equip you with the knowledge and understanding that will help protect you and others.”
“I encourage you to watch this video where I share some of the horrific DMs I’ve received without consent and hope it inspires you to call out non-consensual behavior.” Remember, it’s you ‘before you Yes!’
Georgia has become passionate about the issue of consent after her ex-boyfriend Stephen uploaded footage of the couple having sex to his OnlyFans account without her consent.
The impact of the situation has been profound for Georgia, and she recently admitted she searches for hidden cameras when getting intimate with a new partner.
Stephen was sentenced to 21 months in March on voyeurism and two counts of “revenge porn” after sharing a private video of himself having sex with his ex Georgia to OnlyFans without consent, earning £2,000.
It was captured by CCTV cameras in his garden on August 2, 2020 before being uploaded to the video subscription site and WhatsApp.
Campaigns: After her own revenge porn ordeal, Georgia was among those calling for a change in government legislation, which eventually passed in late June
He was convicted after a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court where Georgia waived her right to anonymity under the Sexual Offenses Act, saying she felt compelled to do so because so many people knew about the video.
Georgia was devastated by the tape and a judge said she suffered “substantial humiliation and embarrassment” at the hands of her perverted former lover.
Judge Christopher Morgan sentenced Stephen to 21 months in prison and issued him a restraining order not to contact Georgia.
The reality star has also been sentenced to put herself on the sex offender registry and is subject to a 10-year reporting obligation.
