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Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna have had a volatile relationship so far. There’s been so much drama between these two, there aren’t soap operas who could come up with better storylines. From the fact that Chyna got the formerly reclusive Rob out of his shell, to the time Chyna up and took their baby daughter, Dream, away from him, to all the breaking up and making up in between, this couple’s relationship history has been rocky.
The latest in the ChyRo drama? Rob posted sexually explicit images of Chyna on his Instagram after accusing her of cheating with at least 8 different men (one of which Chyna actually sent Rob a video of her in bed with), taking drugs and having plastic surgery. You can read about the whole mess over at Channel24.
Now, I get that Rob was hurt by Chyna’s latest antics, especially after all the other stunts she’s pulled. Being purposefully sent a video of your significant other cheating on you (especially by that person) is heartbreaking and embarrassing, so I can understand why Rob is angry, hurt and upset.
What I don’t agree with, however, are his actions.
Rob posted images of Chyna’s body that were sent to him in private. Sharing those images on his social media without her permission, and especially as a means of revenge, is an act of sexual violence.
And if you’ve shared these images or gone looking for them, then you’re participating in that sexual violence too.
It’s a pity we need to still say this in 2017, but IT’S NEVER OKAY TO GET BACK AT SOMEONE BY SHARING THEIR NUDES.
Those images were sent to you in private as something to be shared between you and the sender. They were not meant to be shared with the world and it was not up to you to do so.
Now this is already a despicable act if committed by a spurned lover who isn’t incredibly famous, but Rob used his fame and social media numbers to shame Chyna and that’s not okay. As a famous man, he has a responsibility to not endorse the practice of shaming women for being sexual beings. Especially when it was okay for her to be sexual when he wanted her to be, but then decided to use it against her when things didn’t go his way.
But, according to Mashable, Rob could land up in jail for his act of revenge. Revenge porn is illegal in California and could be punishable by jail time and a fine.
So while Rob may be punished for basically calling Chyna a slut, he’s still not the first man to have done this, and he certainly won’t be the last.
We need to start having more conversations about why men do this and more conversations about why it’s wrong. Women should be allowed autonomy over their own bodies and not shamed for using those bodies to provide themselves and/or their partner(s) pleasure.
Revenge porn needs to be stopped.
