In 2023, the UK government declared that sharing intimate images without consent could lead to a maximum sentence of six months in jail. This was largely due to the influence of Georgia Harrison’s 2022 court case against her ex Stephen Bear who shared a private video of them being intimate without her consent. Bear, aged 35, was given a 21-month sentence in March 2023, but was released from prison in January 2024 after serving 10-and-a-half months. Now, former Love Island star Georgia is leading an ITV show exploring image-based sexual abuse and deep fakes. Despite still grappling with her past, Georgia exclusively reveals to OK! that she is on the path to recovery – though it’s been a tough road. She admits there was a time when she was a “total mess”, moved back in with her mum and didn’t work for two years as “brands didn’t want to touch me”. But now, the 30 year old is in a positive place and opens up exclusively about her boyfriend of eight months, City worker Jack Stacey, 32, who she calls her “best friend” and biggest supporter… Hi, Georgia!, reports the Mirror.
Georgia and Jack have been dating since last summer
(Image: georgialouiseharrison/instagram)
Hi, Georgia! We hear you’re all loved-up… Yes, I’m so happy! I met my boyfriend Jack last July. He works in the City and has absolutely no connection to the showbiz world. He takes it all with a pinch of salt – he’s not interested in fame, but he supports me. It doesn’t scare him. How would you describe your relationship? He’s my best friend. I’ve been through a lot but it all led to me meeting him. We don’t live together yet, but we’re talking about it. He’s my biggest supporter. I’ve never felt so safe. I’m sure he’s The One. This is it, now. I definitely want a family with Jack in the future. How did you two meet? On a dating app! I decided to set up lots of dates and go for it. He was the first person I met, in a pub in Hackney, and ended up being the last. We hit it off so much, I cancelled the rest. You’ve launched a new docuseries Georgia Harrison: Porn, Power, Profit… I’m so proud of it. Jack’s been so supportive, he’s so proud. At the start of our relationship, it took a while for me to trust him – that he wasn’t going to disappear and break my heart. I eventually let my walls down and allowed myself to sink into what’s become a beautiful relationship.
The star is proud of her new docuseries but says it brought up tough memories
(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Did you ever imagine being an activist? It was never my intention to become the poster girl for image abuse online. As a young girl I knew I wanted to help others, but maybe speaking about spirituality on Instagram! These things seem to come knocking on my door, but I’ll always do everything I can to help bring about change. Were there emotional moments during filming? The Labour Party conference, it felt like there was a real change in the way people are looking at deepfake pornography. Working with MP Jess Phillips, herself a victim of deepfake porn, felt like, “Wow, this is gaining momentum.” Was it hard, seeing how widespread your video still is? I still get messages about it, people send me clips. I could be at work, or having a roast with my nan, and have to act like it never happened – otherwise it affects me too much. Seeing in black and white just how many sites the video is still available on was tough. But that’s the reality.
Georgia has become an activist when it comes to online image abuse
(Image: PA)
What shocked you most while making the docuseries? How much money the people behind these companies are making – and how unregulated they are. Some ‘nudify’ sites have 100 million users a month. That horrified me. Is this our society? Why should someone be driving around in a Ferrari because they’ve made technology that unclothes women without permission? It sounds like it was quite a rollercoaster…. It was a whirlwind of emotions. I generally keep my own experiences in the back of my mind, so I was forced to face them. But I had such empowering moments, that energy inside of me that we’re onto something – people are listening. It was tough, but the reasons for doing it were worth it all. Do you still get women messaging you about their experiences? A few times a day. And not just image abuse – rape, domestic abuse… I always do my best to help but it takes a toll, so sometimes I won’t read DMs for days. When I do tackle them, it’s going to be a tough few hours. For a lot of women too… Exactly. It’s time to rip off the Band-Aid and attack this. I want to settle down and have kids. I want to do what I can to remove my video online and make it impossible for other women to have similar videos out there forever. If I don’t change things, I can say I tried.
The former Love Island star still gets messages from other online abuse victims every day
(Image: PA)
You’ve said that your experience “almost broke you”… It scares me to remember the person I was. I feel so sorry for that girl. I was a complete mess for at least six months. I’d go through stages of being OK, then have breakdowns in public, lock myself in my hotel room, sometimes for days, just crying and eating crap – reading through vicious comments. I was grieving a past version of myself. I didn’t return to the UK for almost six months, I couldn’t face it. It was a healing period. Do you feel healed now? When you go through what I did, it feels like your innocence is taken away overnight. Like you’ve been downgraded as a person. You’re wondering if people are looking at you as a more promiscuous person. You’ve got to reach inside yourself to remember you’re still amazing. I never let what happened to me change how I look at men, but it affected how I trust people. I’ll never be completely healed, but I’m the strongest I’ve felt in a long time. Georgia Harrison: Porn, Power, Profit is available to stream on ITVX
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