Female soccer player Leigh Nicol opens up on trauma at sex tape leak

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Scottish footballer Leigh Nicol has bravely opened up about the devastating impact of having her phone hacked and private videos shared on adult websites - an ordeal that left her battling depression, dramatic weight loss and suicidal thoughts.

Now playing for Crystal Palace Women, Nicol says she is speaking out not for herself, but to help prevent similar trauma affecting others in the future.

The 2019 iCloud breach that changed everything

The incident dates back to spring 2019, when an iCloud security breach resulted in private content - some dating back to 2014 when Nicol was just 18 - being published online without her consent.

What followed was a period of unimaginable distress.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Nicol revealed:

I was seen as the one person people knew who had no problems. I was just Leigh, the happiest person they knew.

Even if you met me now you would say I was a happy soul. You would not know that I was broken.

The emotional toll was severe as Nicol experienced prolonged sickness, depression and rapid weight loss.

At her lowest point, she admits she contemplated suicide.

I can understand why people kill themselves over it because I do not know how I managed to get through it.

There was a rota of people to make sure I was never alone. Without those people around me, would it have been different? One hundred percent.

Raising awareness about online exploitation

Nicol says part of the wider issue is ignorance surrounding non-consensual image sharing.

I did not even know this was a thing. I had always assumed that the people in these videos put it out there themselves and I was OK with that. It did not really cross my mind that this could be anyone.

She now wants to highlight the human cost behind online exploitation.

People watch these videos and do not realise the damage to people's lives.

They are giving these websites a lot of money with their views, their sharing and their downloading but there are victims here.

For Nicol, the digital footprint has proven impossible to escape.

She temporarily shut down her social media accounts and has blocked more than 350 users due to abuse.

Yet the comments persist.

There is at least one comment a night. It is normality for me now and that hurts. It is just heart-breaking. I am recognised for that one thing.

A career overshadowed - but not defined

Before the hacking scandal, Nicol was widely recognised for her footballing talent.

She emerged from the academy at Celtic FC Women before securing a move to Arsenal Women in 2013.

Spells at Reading, London Bees and Millwall followed.

But she believes her profile as a footballer contributed to the story gaining traction.

What did it is the fact that I play football. That is the reason it got so big.

No matter where I go I cannot escape it. It is there in the industry. Every corner I turn. Everyone knows.

She also fears the long-term personal consequences, particularly for younger family members.

I have nieces and nephews who are getting to that age where they are very proud of me and want to Google me.

But you cannot Google my name without it being attached to dirt.

Crystal Palace: A turning point

After facing rejection from several clubs once they learned of her past, Nicol found a lifeline at Crystal Palace.

Football has been the key to my recovery.

I am so grateful that I have found a club like Palace that allow me to be myself. They have supported me as a human being.

They didn't really care about the past, they just offered me an opportunity to get fit and train by following their off-season programme.

Her gratitude is unmistakable.

I would literally run through brick walls for Crystal Palace - as you can see from the broken ankle. That just tells you where I am at. I want to stay here for the rest of my career.

The Bigger Picture: Digital safety and mental health in sport

Nicol's story shines a light on the growing issue of digital privacy breaches and non-consensual content sharing - particularly affecting women in sport and public life.

Her decision to speak publicly reflects a broader cultural shift toward accountability, online safety education and mental health awareness.

The damage is done for me, so this is about the next generation.

I feel like prevention is better than someone having to react to this.

I cannot change it alone but if I can raise awareness to stop it happening to others then that is what I want to do.

As women's football continues to grow in profile and commercial reach, Nicol's courage serves as both a warning and a call for change, ensuring that talent, not trauma, defines an athlete's legacy.

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