Nude photos of high-profile celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Ariana Grande went viral online over the past several days after a hacker posted the controversial pictures on 4chan.
Reports indicated that the nude photos were obtained through an iCloud glitch that allowed the hacker to access mobile phones of hundreds of celebrities.
Reacting on the issue, Apple denied that their iCloud service had something to do with the massive photo leak that started on Monday, saying that protecting the privacy of their customers is their top priority.
Apple issued a statement, reiterating that they saw no reason to believe that the nude pictures stemmed from an iCloud glitch or with Find my iPhone after investigating the matter for almost two days.
"After more than 40 hours of investigation, we have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet," Apple wrote. "None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple's systems including iCloud or Find my iPhone."
The Federal Bureau of investigation also released a statement through spokeswoman Laure Eimiller, who said: "The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter. Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time."
Grande denied that the alleged naked photos of her are real, while both Lawrence and Upton confirmed the authenticity of their naked pictures that leaked online. The attorneys of Lawrence and Upton both said that they have already contacted authorities regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, Upton's boyfriend, declined to comment about the controversial images, saying that he won't talk about his personal life as he is focused on his performance in the major league.
"I'm not going to comment on my personal life," Verlander said via USA Today. "I never have, and I never plan on it. I keep my personal life personal. The focus for me is on the Detroit Tigers. I don't want to take any focus away from this team and what we're trying to accomplish."
