Zara McDermott Admits She Was Suicidal After Teachers ‘Blamed Her’ For Revenge Porn Aged 14
Zara has spoken out about the traumatic incident.
Zara McDermott says she contemplated suicide after she was "blamed" for a revenge porn incident when she was just 14 years old.
Speaking out about the experience - in which a boy at school shared naked photos of her - Zara, 24, explained she felt "shunned, punished and shamed" while the boy who shared the photo got off "scot free".
In an interview with The Times, Zara recalls how the photo circulated around her school, before reaching nearby high schools and even Zara's mum, who worked as a food technology teacher. Zara explained she was called to the headteacher's office and later suspended.
"People don't realise when something like this happens, it affects the whole family," she said.
"My teachers just washed their hands of me. Drilling it into me, constantly blaming me. Do you know what that does to a young girl?"
Zara was so embarrassed by the incident, she says she considered taking her own life, explaining she remembers thinking 'how would I do it', adding: "I never want to go to that place again."
The school Zara attended - Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster, east London - has said it now has "specific policies for peer on peer abuse and clear procedures for sexting incidents".
The reality star fell victim to revenge porn once again in 2018, when she appeared on Love Island and an ex boyfriend shared images of her online.
"Notably, when I came out of Love Island, and came out to images of me, what felt like, circulating around the whole world. It was one of the hardest things I went through in my whole life," she said.
Zara is now working on a BBC documentary which gives an "emotional and raw" account of her revenge porn experience, airing on Tuesday 23rd February.
Announcing news of the documentary on Instagram, she wrote: "Hi Everyone. Some of you may be aware that I have been a victim of Image Based Sexual Abuse, which is also known as Revenge Porn.
"For those of you who don't know what this is, it's basically when one person shares intimate images of videos of another person without their consent...
"I am really humbled and honoured to announce that the BBC and I are currently making a documentary to share my story.
"My main aim is to bring awareness to this issue, and be a voice for those who have suffered in silence and to help make a change. I am sharing my story and being my most vulnerable, emotional and raw."
If you are struggling in any way call Samaritans for free on 116 123, visit samaritans.org - or write down your thoughts in an email to [email protected].
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Zara Mcdermott, Celebrity News
Lucy Devine