Audrina Patridge is looking back on the pain she felt after photos from the early days of her career as a model were released into the media.
“I was kind of guided and peer pressured in certain situations that I wish I could say, ‘No.’ And be strong with my ‘No,'” recalled the former reality star, while appearing on the latest episode of The Viall Files. “And not fall into peer pressure with, y’know, topless photos.”
READ MORE: Audrina Patridge Talks Dating Chris Pine And Kissing His Black Lips
The photos first surfaced while Patridge was starring in “The Hills” back in 2008.
“I took these photos years ago, when I was just out of high school and beginning to model,” she explained. “I was young and very trusting of others, and I didn’t know to protect myself. It is a lesson learned, for myself, and hopefully for the young girls who look up to me.”
Patridge said the release of the photos was “devastating” for her. “People spin it into a judgmental, negative way and then it makes you feel shameful and bad about yourself.”
Patridge also revealed how her former flame and “The Hills” co-star, Justin Bobby, helped her to change her perspective on the situation.
“[He] was like, ‘Who cares? They’re boobs. Everybody has boobs. Stop freaking out about it,'” she remembered. “For me, I had to put things in perspective where it was like, ‘Alright, who cares?'”
READ MORE: Audrina Patridge Is ‘Shocked’ And ‘Bummed Out’ About MTV’s ‘Hills’ Reboot
Patridge added, “Navigating your early 20s and teens is hard and those choices you do sometimes have to live with. You learn from them, but then you can teach other people from what you’ve been through.”
