Sia posts her own naked pictures before paparazzi can sell them

Australian singer and songwriter Sia released a nude photograph of herself yesterday in an attempt to stop the paparazzi profiting from it.

The extremely private singer, who rarely makes public appearances without a wig or mask covering her face, discovered that a picture agency was trying to sell 15 photos taken of her, including at least one nude photo, says the Guardian.

The watermark that appears on the photo belongs to US agency FameFlyNet, but it is unclear whether the agency is the seller.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Sia’s response was to post the photo herself as a “free” Christmas gift.

“Someone is apparently trying to sell naked photos of me to my fans,” the singer tweeted. “Save your money, here it is for free. Everyday is Christmas!”

In one swoop, Sia simultaneously shut down the seller’s plot and promoted her upcoming Christmas album “Everyday is Christmas”.

Thousands flocked to Twitter to praise the singer for the move:

Others were surprised that they had seen the singer’s backside before seeing her face:

Sia, who started out as a jazz singer, has consistently shunned the limelight. She does not show her face and performs with her back to the audience, telling NPR in 2014: “I thought it would be a funny joke that I'm getting away with,” she said. “I don't wanna go out and sell my soul, my body, my peace of mind.”