Glenn Greenwald: Pulitzer-Winning Journalist's Sex Tapes Go Viral on Social Media as He Blames 'Political Enemies' Behind Scandal
Journalist Glenn Greenwald has spoken out against his "political enemies" after sex tapes involving him were shared on social media. In a post on X Friday morning, Greenwald said the footage was shared on Thursday night without his "knowledge or consent." He claimed the videos were leaked as part of an effort by "political enemies" to push a specific agenda.
Greenwald, who won the coveted Pulitzer Prize and is also a lawyer, said: "Last night's videos were released online depicting behavior in my private life. Some were distorted and others were not." They were published without my knowledge or consent and its publication was therefore criminal," the 58-year-old journalist added.
In the Center of Sex Scandal
He continued, "Though we do not yet know exactly who is responsible, we are close to knowing, and the motive was a maliciously political one. As for the content of the videos: I have no embarrassment or regret about them. The videos depict consenting adults engaged in intimate actions in their private lives. They all display fully consensual behavior, harming nobody.
"Obviously it can be uncomfortable and unpleasant when your private behavior is made public against your will – that's why the behavior is private in the first place – but the only wrongdoing here is the criminal and malicious publication of the videos in an attempt to malign perceived political enemies and advance a political agenda.
"Others are, of course, free to form their own judgments, as some are prone to do about others' private lives.
"It won't change my work. I will continue to call out the many prongs of my journalism, and pursue the causes important to me, exactly as before."
Glenn Greenwald, who is openly gay, co-founded The Intercept and wrote for the outlet until he stepped down in 2020.
He was married to David Miranda, a Brazilian politician who died in 2023. Together, they are parents to two sons.
Support for Journalist
Since the release of his statement, Greenwald's post has received an outpouring of supportive comments. "You have my unwavering support! Don't stop telling the truth. I'm sorry this is happening to you, I won't be watching anything depicting your private life which was released without your permission," wrote one person.
"I hope others will choose to do the same. This could happen to any of us speaking truth to power.
"We must stand together. Thank you for decades of integrity, hard work and personal risk to uncover and expose truth."
Another person wrote, "Keep up the good work, Glenn, this attempt to get at you is ridiculous and everyone with half a brain can see through it!"
Greenwald won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on government surveillance programs using information leaked by Edward Snowden.
He parted ways with The Intercept after accusing the publication's editors of trying to suppress an article he wrote that was critical of Joe Biden.
In a sharply worded Substack essay, Greenwald condemned what he described as a culture of "repression, censorship, and ideological homogeneity" both at the outlet and across mainstream media.
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