Former Rep. Katie Hill is suing the Daily Mail, RedState.com and her ex-husband for releasing and publishing “nonconsensual porn,” according to NBC News.
In 2019, the Daily Mail published a nude photo of Hill taken by her ex-husband, Kenny Heslep. Hill’s lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles, seeks damages for emotional distress.
Per NBC News, the suit claims the outlets did not have the “carte blanche right” under the First Amendment to “sexually degrade and expose public officials.” Representatives did not immediately return a request for comment on the suit.
Hill resigned from Congress last October as the representative of California’s 25th district after facing accusations of having a sexual relationship with a male congressional staffer, which she has denied, and apologizing for what she described as an “inappropriate” relationship with a female campaign staffer.
At the time, she blamed the “disgusting” right-wing media for playing a role in what she said was Heslep’s abuse of her. According to NBC News, she was granted a temporary restraining order against Heslep earlier this month.
Last fall, she released a video statement on YouTube berating the right-wing media and vowing to take on the issue of “revenge porn” that she said led to her political downfall.
“I made this decision so that my supporters, my family, my staff and our community will no longer be subjected to the pain inflicted by my abusive husband and the brutality of hateful political operatives,” she said of her resignation from Congress, reiterating her belief that her estranged husband sought to destroy her reputation.