Scarlett Johansson went through hell in 2011 when Florida hacker Christopher Cheney leaked nude pictures of the actress intended for her then-husband, Ryan Reynolds, and now the actress may be generously compensated for her emotional distress.
Cheney, 35, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to nine counts of computer hacking — he gained access access to 50 entertainment industry luminaries, including Christina Aguilera, over a two year period — and now federal prosecutors are suggesting that he pay up.
According to The Los Angeles Times, a sentencing memo from the feds requests that Cheney compensate Johansson, 27, $66,179.46, and give $7,500 to victims Aguilera and $76,767.35 to Secret Life of the American Teenager‘s Renee Olstead.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Feldman and Wesley Hsu are also recommending that Cheney receive a 71-month prison sentence, according to the L.A. Times. Feldman argued that the hacker had little remorse for his actions, and he reportedly told a pal: “I don’t care if you share the pictures I’ve sent you…as long as you never mention where you got them.”
To gain access to Johansson’s account, Cheney is said to have used the password recovery feature and reset the account’s password after correctly guessing the answer to their security question. Once he gained access, Cheney went through her address book to pursue other A-list targets.
Married to Reynolds, 35, for two years until filing for divorce in December 2010, Johansson told Vanity Fair she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about the racy photos.
“I know my best angles,” she joked to the magazine. “[The naked pictures] were sent to my husband. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not like I was shooting a porno. Although there’s nothing wrong with that either.”