On March 3, reality show host Steven Bear was sentenced to 21 months in prison after a long and high-profile case of posting private sex videos online without the consent of his ex-partner, Georgia Harrison.
Porn Revenge: Georgia vs Bear followed the fate of Ms. Harrison, trying to remove the stigma and give hope to other victims: only 6 percent of revenge porn crimes between 2015 and 2021 ended with a suspect being charged or even subpoenaed.
Due to the publicity of the case and the rapid processing of the documentary, Georgia vs Bear did not lead to much narrative revelation. Instead, the film took the opportunity to tell a slower, more humane version of the story that has made headlines and been playing out on social media since its release in 2020.
While Ms. Harrison struggled to shed her powerful persona and be taken seriously, Bear seemed increasingly eager to turn every moment into a spectacle. The Doctor alternated between images of Ms Harrison and her mother Nicola preparing for court and Bear’s bizarre social media activity (he asked his Twitter followers to vote on what color he should go to court in, pink won. Other costumes included fur coats and sticks). with cobra heads.)
When they met, both were busy with careers in public. After their performances on TOUI AND Island of loveMrs Harrison and the Bear (famous big brother, shipwreck, ex on the beach) first came together on a 2018 game show Competition. “I was really blown away by him. He was so charming,” Miss Harrison said of their whirlwind romance. “I really thought I would love him.”
But what at first seemed like silly bragging on the part of the Bear — sending them a video of them having sex with a friend without thinking about the consequences — began to look more Machiavellian.
As the lawsuit came to a head, it was hard to avoid the suggestion that the Bear planned the whole thing as a publicity stunt. Of course, he capitalized on the video by selling it on OnlyFans. “Mr. Bear hinted that someone hacked into his account, which begs the question, why would a hacker do this to financially support Mr. Bear?” Mrs. Harrison’s lawyer said.
When it comes to revenge porn, much of the pain inflicted is due to its public nature – not only the victim suffered, but everyone they know could have witnessed it. In the words of Mrs. Harrison, “You just feel so insignificant…so flawed.”
The humiliation of the crime was exacerbated by Ms. Harrison’s public profile: she lacked the anonymity of many other victims. But she wasn’t scared and was adamant that her experience could inspire others: “I hope one day the girls can look at me and think: she came in, she made it, she was strong, we can do it.”
Featuring two celebrities Georgia vs Bear will never be representative of the average revenge porn experience. But it is this notoriety that allows this story to reach millions of people, and the wider awareness is priceless. “The average prison sentence for revenge porn is six months,” says Harrison. “But the vast majority of men who do this will get off with a fine or probation.”
Charismatic and determined, Mrs. Harrison was a worthy representative of those in distress: the justice she received rarely kindled her fire.