Halsey claims a ‘really powerful’ music executive reviewed nude photos without consent

On By Littum

Pop singer Halsey has claimed a “powerful” music executive once went through their private photos without consent.

The “Lucky” star, who uses they/them pronouns, recalled the incident during an interview at Call her dad podcast and said it left them feeling “demoralized” and violated.

“I think it was quite a long time ago, but I was out and I was with this executive, like this really powerful executive who works with music in some capacity,” Halsey said.

“It was just very festive and there was a lot of industry talk. I didn’t feel weird about it at all. I never felt unsafe or anything.”

Halsey, 30, said the evening took a sinister turn when the unnamed executive allegedly asked for a photo of them together to send to his niece: the pop singer took the photo, then handed over their phone, saying he could send it to his number when they needed to use the bathroom.

When Halsey returned, they apparently found the director looking through private, explicit photos on their phone.

Halsey said they became paranoid that the director had sent himself the photos
Halsey said they became paranoid that the director had sent himself the photos (Getty Images for MTV)

“I was just frozen… I didn’t even know what to do,” they said. “I was like, ‘Did I just set that up? Was it an accident?… I was like, ‘Did the phone roll up? What the hell just happened?’

Halsey said they felt particularly disturbed by the idea that the CEO might have gone so far as to send the photos to himself: “I thought, ‘Did he throw them to himself and then delete the messages? I don’t know once where they are now.”

The singer said they found the experience so humiliating that they began to question their self-esteem: “I went from being like, ‘Yeah, I’m piss hot s*** (to) … You’re nothing … you are still the damn girl that’s being taken advantage of, or that men talk about you behind your back, or you’re some kind of similar security.'”

They described the incident as “demoralizing” and that although they had experienced “worse” in their careers, this one stood out: “Because it was so nonchalant.”

On the podcast, Halsey reflected on the dark side of power dynamics in the music industry and their status: “I’m in this exclusive space thinking I’ve reached the ranks where I’m protected… and then this invasive thing just happens on a whim .”

Halsey released their latest album, The great impersonatoron October 25, which features singles including “The End” and “Lonely is the Muse.”