Elizabeth Banks Speaks Out About Photo Hacking: "It's a Disturbing Violation of Women"

Elizabeth Banks has long been an outspoken supporter of women's rights and general well-being, whether she's championing heart-disease screenings or simply sharing historical facts about suffrage with her Twitter followers. We spoke with the actress today about her first big directing job on Pitch Perfect 2 and a topic so many women are discussing this week: the theft of private photos that impacted several Hollywood actresses, including Elizabeth's costar in the Hunger Games franchise, Jennifer Lawrence. Elizabeth didn't mince words when we asked her, as a famous woman herself, how she reacted to the news.

"I just would say, firstly, that it's a criminal act. It's a total invasion of people's privacy, and whoever perpetrated it should be prosecuted and brought to justice. I'm just hoping that there's a little bit of justice for all of the victims," Elizabeth said. "It's a total violation, and it's a disturbing violation of women."

Elizabeth joins many other high-profile — and everyday — women in condemning the nude photo leak. Apple defended the security of its iCloud in a statement about the hack on Tuesday, saying the attacks were carefully targeted and not the result of any breach of its systems, while the FBI continues to investigate. The case is unfortunately not the first of its kind; a man who published private photos of Scarlett Johansson in a similar attack was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2012.