Former Virginia House of Delegates candidate and Democrat Susanna Gibson recently opened up in an interview with Politico about her experience of having private videos, featuring her and her husband, leaked online. Gibson, a nurse practitioner and mother of two, described the ordeal as deeply distressing, stating it was something she wouldn’t wish on anyone.
The controversy began in September when archived livestream videos of Gibson engaging in sexual activities with her husband for viewer tips resurfaced online. The Washington Post first reported the story, noting that the couple had solicited payments from viewers for specific acts.
The videos in question were archived on a site called Chaturbate, with the most recent being saved on September 30, 2022, after Gibson had officially entered the delegate race.
As news of the videos spread, amplified by Republican operatives before the election, Gibson condemned what she viewed as a violation of her privacy, intended to humiliate her and her family. Despite the backlash, she continued her campaign but ultimately faced defeat.
In her Politico interview, Gibson asserted that the distribution of the videos was not only a targeted media attack but also an illegal act. She recounted how shocked she was upon learning that videos of her had been discovered on the dark web and circulated among various news outlets. She emphasized that she had no knowledge of these recordings being made or uploaded.
Gibson highlighted the legal nuances of consensual content creation versus non-consensual distribution, arguing that the latter constitutes a crime. She differentiated between sharing content with a limited audience during a live stream or through webcamming, and the unauthorized recording and widespread dissemination of such content.
Addressing the broader implications, Gibson expressed concern over the invasion of digital privacy, especially regarding lawful and consensual personal activities. She advocated for ethical boundaries, arguing that individuals’ private lives, particularly their sexual activities, should not be exploited for public scrutiny or impact their professional capabilities.
Gibson also raised an alarm about the increasing likelihood of similar incidents affecting other women, particularly as more millennials, who have grown up in a digital age, enter politics. She cited a 2014 McAfee study, which indicated a high percentage of millennial women have taken nude photos, suggesting a growing vulnerability to privacy breaches in the digital era.