In January 2023, former NFL star Antonio Brown found himself at the center of controversy once again after sharing an explicit video of Chelsie Kyriss, the mother of his children, on his public Snapchat story. The video, which showed Kyriss performing a sexual act on Brown, quickly spread across social media before Snapchat removed Brown‘s account for violating their terms of service that prohibit sexually explicit content.
Timeline of Events
- January 16, 2023: Antonio Brown posts the explicit video of Chelsie Kyriss on his public Snapchat story. The video is screen-recorded and shared across various social media platforms.
- January 17, 2023: Snapchat bans Brown‘s account for violating their community guidelines on sexually explicit content. Kyriss posts a statement on Instagram addressing the situation and expressing her disappointment in Brown‘s actions.
- January 18-20, 2023: The video continues to circulate online as social media users react with memes, jokes, and expressions of shock. Some call for legal action against Brown for sharing nonconsensual pornography.
Snapchat‘s Policies on Explicit Content
Snapchat, like most major social media platforms, has strict policies prohibiting the sharing of sexually explicit content. Their community guidelines state:
"We prohibit accounts that promote or distribute pornographic content. We do not allow pornographic content to be sent, received, or posted to Snapchat, including in private messages, public stories, or public shows."
Snapchat also has a specific policy addressing nonconsensual sharing of intimate content, also known as revenge porn:
"We prohibit sharing sexually explicit content involving minors or nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit content involving any individual. Never post, save, or send intimate content involving anyone under 18 — even of yourself. Never send intimate or sexual content of someone else without their consent."
Accounts that violate these policies may be removed and the user may be permanently banned from the platform. However, critics argue that Snapchat and other social media sites often fail to proactively monitor for nonconsensual explicit content, putting the onus on victims to report abuse.
The Prevalence of Revenge Porn
Antonio Brown‘s actions are a high-profile example of a disturbingly common problem: revenge porn. Also known as nonconsensual pornography or image-based abuse, revenge porn refers to the sharing of sexually explicit images or videos of someone without their consent, often with the intent to harass, intimidate, or humiliate them.
Studies have found that 1 in 25 Americans have been victims of revenge porn. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to have their explicit images shared without permission. Relationships gone wrong, scorned exes, and malicious hackers gaining access to private material are common contexts for revenge porn cases.
According to a 2017 study by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative:
- 1 in 8 social media users have been targets of nonconsensual pornography
- 93% of victims report significant emotional distress after their images are shared
- 82% of victims report experiencing suicidal thoughts after being victimized
- 51% of victims report being harassed or stalked online by users who saw their material
- 90% of victims are women, often targeted by male ex-partners
The psychological toll of revenge porn cannot be overstated. Victims often experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and somatic disorders. They may face fallout in their professional lives if the content is seen by employers or clients. If their name is attached to the content, it can impact their online presence and reputation for years to come.
Legal Landscape and Challenges
In recent years, many jurisdictions have passed laws criminalizing revenge porn. As of 2021, 48 states and Washington D.C. had revenge porn laws on the books.
However, legal recourse remains challenging for many victims. Police departments may lack resources or expertise to properly investigate digital crimes. Perpetrators often use anonymous accounts or share content across state lines, complicating prosecution.
Some key legal challenges and statistics:
- According to one study, only 25% of revenge porn cases lead to criminal charges, and only 10% lead to a conviction
- Across the U.S., the maximum sentence for nonconsensual porn ranges from 6 months to 5 years imprisonment, depending on state law
- Even when criminal charges are filed, many cases are plea bargained down to lesser offenses like misdemeanor harassment or invasion of privacy
- It can be difficult to compel social media platforms or websites to completely remove nonconsensual content once it has spread online
- Many revenge porn laws have specific intent requirements (like intent to harass) that can be challenging to prove in court
For public figures like Antonio Brown and Chelsie Kyriss, the high-profile nature of their case adds additional legal pressure and press scrutiny. However, it‘s crucial not to let the celebrity element overshadow the unethical, abusive dynamics at play, or to excuse such violations of consent simply because the perpetrator is famous.
Revenge Porn and Intimate Partner Violence
It‘s important to understand revenge porn as part of a wider spectrum of intimate partner violence and abuse, particularly in the digital sphere. Like other controlling behaviors, it is a way for abusers to maintain power over their victims using sexual humiliation and degradation.
Research has found that revenge porn perpetration is linked to other abusive relationship behaviors like sexual coercion, monitoring social media accounts, and limiting a partner‘s access to technology. Men who share or threaten to share explicit content are more likely to engage in physical violence and stalking as well.
Digital abuse tactics like revenge porn often intersect with other forms of intimate partner violence, compounding the harm to victims. A 2020 study found that of IPV victims who experienced nonconsensual pornography from a partner:
- 68% also experienced sexual coercion from the perpetrator
- 65% experienced physical violence from the perpetrator
- 62% experienced psychological abuse like isolation from friends and family
- 60% experienced stalking behaviors
These statistics reveal how revenge porn does not occur in a vacuum but is part of a broader pattern of sexist, entitled attitudes and abusive conduct, often cultivated over time. For those in the public eye, that entitlement may be magnified by fame, wealth, and institutional power.
Celebrity Scandal and Responsibility
As disturbing as the Antonio Brown incident is, it‘s sadly not the first time a celebrity has weaponized their ex‘s intimate content for revenge or public humiliation. In 2014, hundreds of female celebrities had their private nude photos hacked and leaked online in a mass violation of privacy. Victims included major stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.
In 2017, rapper Nicki Minaj‘s ex Safaree Samuels reportedly threatened to leak her explicit videos
following their breakup. In 2018, Blac Chyna sued her ex Rob Kardashian after he posted revenge porn of her on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, reaching his millions of followers. The list goes on.
These high-profile cases often generate salacious headlines and judgmental commentary on celebrity relationships. But at their core, they are clear abuses of power that underscore the misogyny, entitlement, and disregard for consent that allows revenge porn to proliferate.
As writer Roxane Gay put it in her poignant essay on the 2014 celebrity photo hacks:
"These leaked images are instantly widely available and they always will be. The permanence of such a violation is a bitter thing…We are a culture that thrives on the hatred of women, of anyone who is marginalized in any way, and nudity is an easy way to make people, especially women, feel vulnerable and exposed…
It‘s telling, isn‘t it, that the only intimate, naked photos we see are of women. The only photos being leaked are of women. Women are targeted, women are shamed, women are reduced and women are held responsible for actions outside their control."
While the specifics may vary, at the core of every case where explicit content is shared without consent are the same toxic values and dehumanizing attitudes toward women and sex.
For famous figures like Antonio Brown, that cultural toxicity may intersect with inflated egos, troubled relationships, and impulsive posting online to create a perfect storm of boundary-crossing behavior. But mental health struggles or past trauma are no excuse for violating another person‘s privacy and consent.
If anything, celebrities have a heightened responsibility to model respectful conduct and use their platforms responsibly, given their vast public reach and influence. When stars, athletes and public figures engage in revenge porn, they send a dangerous message that such behavior is acceptable or justified.
Digital Consent and Respect
Ultimately, the Antonio Brown incident should spark reflection not just on one footballer‘s poor choices, but on the wider cultural values and scripts we absorb about sex, technology, and consent. Social media may be constantly evolving, but the fundamental tenets of sexual respect and privacy remain the same.
We need to affirm that consent is essential in every sexual interaction, in person or online, no matter the relationship context or history. Consenting to being filmed or photographed in an intimate scenario once does not mean blanket consent to have that content shared anywhere, anytime. When explicit content is created or exchanged, there should be mutual understanding about if/how it will be stored and who will have access.
Parents and educators have a key role to play in fostering a culture of consent and respect from a young age, both in terms of general sexual health and digital literacy. Young people need guidance on navigating intimate relationships in an online world, setting boundaries, and respecting others‘ privacy.
As a society, we must push back against victim-blaming narratives that treat revenge porn as a mere hazard of taking intimate content, or that scrutinize what a victim was wearing or doing rather than the unethical actions of the perpetrator. As one researcher put it, "Revenge porn is sexual violence, not sexting gone wrong."
We must also hold social media platforms accountable for creating better systems to prevent the spread of nonconsensual sexual content and to promptly, thoroughly remove it when reported. Survivors need accessible tools and resources to protect their privacy and seek support in the aftermath of such a traumatic violation.
Most of all, we need to center victims‘ voices and experiences to counteract the shame and stigma that so often come with being targeted by revenge porn. No one deserves to have their most private moments weaponized against them for public consumption, regardless of their gender, background, or celebrity status.
By confronting the harm of revenge porn from a place of empathy and education rather than sensation, we can build a culture of consent and sexual respect for the digital age—and prevent more stories like Antonio Brown‘s from making damaging headlines. It‘s on all of us to do better.
