Media

Journalist Glenn Greenwald Responds to Sex Tape Leak

Published MAY 30 2025

Story

Above: U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald, founder and former editor of The Intercept website, gestures during a hearing at the Lower House's Human Rights Commission in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 25, 2019. Image credit: Everisto Sa/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

American journalist Glenn Greenwald responded Friday to leaked videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with a man. He said the videos depict "consenting adults engaged in intimate actions in their private lives." The videos were reportedly leaked by a Brazilian X account.
Daily Mail
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ZeroHedge
Greenwald, the co-founder and former editor of The Intercept, is known for his reports on Edward Snowden's government surveillance leaks. He resigned from The Intercept in 2020 for what he claimed was pressure to "remove all sections [of an article] critical of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden."
Daily Mail
Glenn Greenwald
The Hollywood Reporter
In his statement on the issue, he also alleged that the leak was a "criminal and malicious publication...in an attempt to malign perceived political enemies and advance a political agenda."
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Daily Mail
The Daily Beast
Greenwald has also covered topics including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and alleged censorship in Brazil and the U.S. He has called Israeli actions against Palestine "genocidal," criticized Brazil's Supreme Court for alleged social media censorship, and criticized U.S. involvement in Ukraine.
The New Republic
The Rio Times
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Several journalists and media personalities came to Greenwald's defense, including Candace Owens, who called him "one of the most important and honest voices of our time," and Jimmy Dore, who said the leak "will only bring more attention to [Greenwald's] amazing journalism that threatens the powerful."
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Critics, however, have argued that Greenwald's defenders are only supporting him due to his pro-Palestinian stance. One account said, "Imagine if that... video from last night featured Ben Shapiro or anyone on the right — the left would be in total meltdown."
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Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

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CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

After making a career out of exposing the most powerful people in the world, it would make sense that someone might want to tarnish Greenwald's reputation. Governments and intelligence agencies, from Brazil and Israel to the U.S. and Ukraine, have plenty of motive here. That doesn't mean this was a government operation, but speaking truth to power often comes with dangerous pushback.

ZeroHedge

Narrative B

Greenwald may have been a threat to some in the past, but in recent years, he's been nothing more than a Trump apologist pushing conspiracy theories about the media industry he left. Whoever leaked these videos clearly doesn't respect Greenwald, but that could be anyone given the ex-Pulitzer Prize winner's fall from grace.