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Georgia Harrison has today broken her silence on the early prison release of her dreaded ex Stephen Bear in an emotional statement.
The Love Island star was plunged into her deepest nightmare when, back in 2020, her then-boyfriend Bear shared a private video of the couple having consensual sex in his garden on his OnlyFans account.
Sexual assault activist Georgia was unaware she was being recorded on his home CCTV at the time, as prosecutor Jacqueline Carey KC told attendees to Chelmsford Crown Court last year.
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Former Ex On The Beach star Bear subsequently made £2,000 for selling the online footage, after which he was found guilty of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private, sexual photos and films.
And following an arduous court case, he was finally sentenced in March this year to 21 months in jail, much to Georgia and her family's relief.
Despite their initial comfort, however, on 20 January - less than a year after his sentencing - the disgraced reality star was released from prison.
Ahead of her recent appearance in the All Star villa, Georgia told The Sun she just wanted to 'move on' with her life following almost four years of devastation.
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"So for me, I don't really have much fear or any concerns about his release from prison," she explained at the time.
"You know, his life journey now is his life journey, and that's for him to figure out if he can rehabilitate himself.
"I have a restraining order on him, so I don't feel that he'll be saying anything about me that's going to affect me."
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And now, speaking to gal pal Olivia Attwood on her So Wrong It's Right podcast, Georgia has commented on Bear's release for the first time.
"Honestly, like, I feel protected by the Lord, to be honest," she admitted. "Like, I've got a restraining order on him, so he can't come near me and he can't speak about me.
"So for me, I just think, I think everyone deserves to rehabilitate themselves and to find a way to become a better person. And I truly hope for him that is the case."
Georgia - who left the All Star villa earlier this month with new love interest, Scottish bodybuilder Anton Danyluk - went on to insist she'd try not to overthink the consequences of Bear's release.
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"I might still have certain legal issues that we have to face each other in court for coming up," she explained.
"And I'm just going to take it day-by-day, but just try not to let my past encroach on my present moment, I think that's what's best for me."
Speaking about recovery from her trauma, the 29-year-old star admitted: "I think there were always going to be certain steps along this journey that were going to be harder for me to handle this time because of what I've been through.
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"It changed everything for me. And because of that, I struggled to be overly sexual in public.
"Whereas, when I was 21, I probably would have been dancing on everyone."
Whilst in the Love Island villa earlier this year, Georgia refused to take part in the notorious 'heart-rate challenge', which sees contestants give their co-stars lap dances in the hope of raising their pulse, alluding to the hardship she endured at Bear's hands.
"I feel like, because so many people got to see me in a sexually vulnerable state without my permission, they've seen enough of my sexual side. That can be saved now for in private," she bravely added.
"And if I was to be that way, I know for a fact I would get judged for it left, right and centre. Like I get judged if I put up a picture in a bikini saying, 'She's happy to be seen like that, but she's not happy to be seen in this video'."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Georgia Harrison, ITV, Love Island, Reality TV, Sex and Relationships, TV And Film, Podcasts
Rhianna Benson