You can subscribe to listen to the full episode. For $5 a month, you’ll receive weekly dating-related advice, humor, and stories.
In 2016, social worker Francesca Rossi received an email from an Ex she’d dated a few years before. She’d just moved in with her boyfriend and ignored the message. A couple of months later, she received an email from another man she’d dated. She didn’t respond to that one, either. A few passed. Into her inbox slid another message. This time, it was from the girlfriend of another former lover. When Francesca opened the attachment, she saw a naked picture of herself.
Shook, Francesca deleted and blocked the sender.
Not long after that, Francesca’s friend called her. She’d received a Facebook friend request from a man Francesca had met on a dating app. His profile photo was a nude photo of Francesca.
Listen to The Cut’s free podcast episode about this case so you don’t miss the twist.
While Francesca’s boyfriend and friends provided ample emotional support, she knew she needed to take action. She met with a lawyer named Carrie Goldberg. In 2016, Goldberg was the only legal counsel who handled revenge porn and cyber harassment. Goldberg got the Facebook page taken down and began investigating the man who’d created the profile. “He didn’t fit the pattern,” Goldberg said in an interview on The Cut’s In Her Shoes Podcast.
Then things got scary.
In addition to receiving a barrage of messages from former boyfriends, she’d learned she was being sued. The wife of an ex was claiming she’d contracted an STD after her husband cheated on her with Francesca.
She contacted Carrie Goldberg in a panic. What the hell was going on?
To listen to the full episode, become a subscriber. For $5 a month, you’ll receive weekly dating-related advice, humor, and stories.
