Love Island star Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu has opened up about being a victim of a revenge porn scheme that left her deeply traumatized.
In an exclusive interview with ‘The Sun on Sunday’s ‘Fabulous magazine, the 29-year-old described how the distressing situation unfolded after her phone disappeared during a date with a man she met on Tinder.
According to Ekin-Su, the man later showed up at her home with a new phone, which she accepted without suspicion. “It should have been a red flag that it wasn’t in the box, but I thought, ‘He’s spoiling me, he loves me,'” she said.
After using the phone for about two months, Ekin-Su began receiving alarming emails at her work address, which included a message saying, “I know everything about you.” The emails contained an intimate photo of her, sent initially to her ex-boyfriend.
Initially dismissing the emails as spam, Ekin-Su became alarmed when the sender threatened to expose a private conversation if she did not respond. Describing the situation as “revenge porn,” she faced difficulties when reporting the incident to the police, who were unable to trace the IP address of the device used for the threats.
Ekin-Su’s ex-boyfriend suggested contacting law enforcement, but the investigation yielded little progress. “I felt so silly. I was traumatized,” she admitted. She protected herself by deleting her phone, iCloud, and emails. Despite concerns about potential fallout, no issues arose during her time on *Love Island*.
Reflecting on her experience, Ekin-Su said, “I now look for signs and cut people out early. I need to protect myself.” Currently enjoying a single life, she is dating through platforms like Raya and focusing on understanding her needs before settling down in a new relationship.
