PopEater's Guide to Photo Scandals and Sex Tape Apologies

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Vanessa Hudgens

Scandal: Self-taken nude photos of the 'High School Musical' starlet were leaked online in 2007 ... and then another batch hit the Web in August 2009. What's that saying? Leak nude photos of me once, shame on you...

Tactic: Win back the fanbase the first time, ignore scandal the second time

The Response: "I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me. I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends," Hudgens said. She has not publicly commented on the second batch of photos.

Endgame: No real harm done. Still has Disney gigs.

Ashley Greene

Scandal: Three nude photos of the 'Twilight: New Moon' actress that seem to have been taken by Greene herself leaked online. She left little to the imagination, and bared much more than fangs.

Tactic: Legal barrage sans comment (so far)

The Response: While Greene hasn't commented yet, her lawyers scrambled to get the photos taken down from various blogs. "The photos in question, which appear to be of our client, are illegal and are being unlawfully displayed." Greene's lawyer said in a statement.

Endgame: TBD

Miley Cyrus

Scandal(s): The big Miley photo scandal came when a semi-topless Vanity Fair spread showed the then-15-year-old Cyrus in just a sheet. Otherwise, various leaks of photos have shown Miley posing in her underwear, in bathing suits and scantily clad with a boy pal. In more clothed but equally discussed photos, Miley was seen pulling her eyes to the side, causing many to think she was mocking Asians.

Tactic: Varies from pure apologies to the "get over it" act

The Responses: The VF Photos -- "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed."; The photos with boy pics -- "The pictures of me on the Internet were silly, inappropriate shots. I appreciate all the support of my fans, and hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone."; The Asian photos -- "Well, I'm sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context! In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy face."

Endgame: She's still the biggest teen around, though we're guessing Vanity Fair is no longer an option.

Leighton Meester

Scandal: In 2009, photos from an alleged sex tape of the 'Gossip Girl' starlet were posted by a Web site, who said the video would be released later in the year. She purportedly did things with her feet in the video that cannot (and should not, for sanitation reasons) be mentioned here.

Tactic: Deny it's you in a video, but then say it's you in photo stills purportedly taken from video?

Response: "[The tape] is not real, so it makes me sort of sad. It's unfortunate that it got carried as far as it did. I definitely understand the nature of people better now and that the mere allegation of something like that could be headline news. People think it's real because somebody says it is. By the way, [as for] me being 18 in those pictures, I don't believe I was," Meester told Harper's Bazaar.

Endgame: TBD

Daniel Radcliffe

Scandal: While not as personal or private as some of the other photo scandals, snapshots taken of a nude Radcliffe performing on stage during 'Equus' were spread around the Web, revealing the 'Harry Potter' star's manhood to the world.

Tactic: Laugh it off in good fun

Response: During an interview with Moviefone, Radcliffe said: Daniel Radcliffe: "It was just going to happen, wasn't it? Somebody was going to get a picture up. It's not me looking my proudest, if I'm honest with you, it's not me in my best [laughs]. But, hell, the pictures were always going to get out, and I knew that. And frankly, there's not even one part of me that feels I shouldn't have done it. It was the best thing for me, to get back to what I love doing, which is acting.

Endgame: He won rave reviews for his full monty in 'Equus,' and is still 'Harry Potter.' Everything's coming up Radcliffe.

Rihanna

Scandal: Self-taken nude pics purportedly of the R&B star were leaked online in early May 2009. Some speculated that the photos were leaked by Chris Brown, who was at the time still facing charges for his assault on her that he later plead guilty to. There was also a purported sex tape of Rihanna floating around the net, but that never came to fruition.

Tactic: Stay mum and it will go away.

Response: None, as Rihanna never confirmed or denied the photos were of her.

Endgame: Either the photos/video were fake, or Rihanna's got a great poker face to make them go away, because nobody's said boo since.

Paris Hilton

Scandal: The sex tape seen 'round the world, '1 Night in Paris,' was leaked by Hilton's ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon.

Tactic: Don't talk about it ... until your documentary comes out. And sue the leaker.

Response: "It's something that haunts me to this day. It's embarrassing ... I was humiliated, embarrassed and in shock ... It was definitely very painful. When you trust someone and love someone, for them to do that to you, it's really hard."

Endgame: The tape launched her to mega-stardom.

Audrina Patridge

Scandal: Insert 'Hills' joke here. The reality starlet found herself regretting her past when nude modeling pics of her hit the Web. So what's a girl to do to rebound from that?

Tactic: Apologize, then pose in Playboy months later

Response: "I took these photos years ago when I was just out of high school and beginning to model. I was young and very trusting of others and I didn't know to protect myself. It is a lesson learned, for myself, and hopefully for the young girls who look up to me," Patridge said.

Endgame: When nude pics are leaked, might as well pose for Playboy and get paid, no?

Pete Wentz

Scandal: The Fall Out Boy bassist, well, fell out of his pants, literally ... and the whole world saw it. Wentz took an infamous in-the-mirror photo of himself and his privates, and in the process of sending it to someone, the very X-rated photo wound up being intercepted and leaked online.

Tactic: Roll with the punches

Response: "More people have seen that picture than have bought our record, which is a very bizarre statistic to think about," Wentz joked about the leak.

Endgame: Aside from some embarrassment, the only thing Wentz's pic did was probably earn him more female fans .. and a wife in Ashley Simpson.




CREDIT: Getty Images, AP, WireImage, Bauer-Griffin, FilmMagic

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