Homeland Security investigators are looking for the cyber-hacker who broke into Leslie Jones’ iCloud account and posted her driver’s license, passport and naked photos of her on her website.
“ICE Homeland Security Investigations in New York does currently have an open investigation,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement to multiple news outlets on Thursday. “As a matter of agency policy, we are unable to disclose any information related to an active investigation.” TMZ reported earlier that the FBI had the case, not local authorities in Los Angeles or New York City, where the “Saturday Night Live” actress has homes.
Jones has been the target of online haters since she starred in “Ghostbusters” earlier this summer. She faced an onslaught of racist comments and photos comparing her looks to a gorilla.
In the latest outrage, the hacker posted a video of Harambe — the gorilla that was put down earlier this year at the Cincinnati Zoo after a boy fell into his enclosure — at the top of Jones’ website. That person also posted sexually explicit photos of the actress on the site that were stolen from her phone.
Jones’ website has since been taken down.
But it’s not all bad news. Fans, feminists, public figures and fellow celebrities are filling Twitter with notes of support under the hashtages #StandWithLeslie and #lesliejones.
Gavin Newsom, California lieutenant governor and former San Francisco mayor, wrote, “No one deserves to be attacked the way Leslie Jones was. Cyber bullying is real and hurtful. We stand with you.”
Katy Perry posted: “Do not give your eyeballs to this racist, hate-filed misogynist crime. I #StandWithLeslie”
Martha Ross provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Follow her at twitter.com/marthajross.