Sony execs embarrassed after hacked emails released

Sony execs embarrassed after hacked emails released

Emails reveal racist jokes about President Obama, exec calls Angelina Jolie "minimally talented"

A recent cyber attack and public release of information has caused Sony Pictures irreversible damage and embarrassment that could take years to repair. Information about daily operations of Sony Pictures has been leaked on the web including bank account information, financial forecasts, wire transfers, invoices, audits and budgets, along with personal and celebrity emails.

Email conversations with agents representing Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron and Tom Cruise were revealed. Embarrassing e-mails from Sony executives have also been released amongst the treasure trove of information.

Hacked emails reveal Sony executives making racist jokes about what movies President Barack Obama would like. Sony Pictures co-chairwoman, Amy Pascal, emailed Academy Award winning producer Scott Rudin, about what she should ask the president at a fundraising event.  In the email thread pascal writes “Should I ask him if he liked DJANGO?” Rudin then replied back, “12 years,” in reference to the movie 12 years a slave.

In other emails Rudin calls Angelina Jolie a “minimally talented, spoiled brat,” who he says thought nothing of setting other work aside for 18 months while she directed the movie Unbroken. He referred to her as a celebrity and a camp event.

It has been reported that the hack possibly was a North Korean intelligence operation acting in retaliation for Sony Pictures upcoming movie, The Interview. The plot of the movie involves reporters recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un. North Korea denied any involvement in the hack but did call it a “righteous deed.”

Information acquired by the hackers has slowly been released online by a group calling itself the Guardians of The Peace or GOP. In a letter posted on a code sharing website the group demanded the release of the movie The Interview be cancelled.

The group of hackers have released four separate groups of data that it obtained. These releases include scripts for upcoming movies and financial data. It has been reported that Seth Rogan’s personal email was even revealed.

Hackers released aliases of celebrities including Jessica Alba who goes by “Cash Money” and Sara Michelle Gellar’s alias, “Neelly O’Hara.” Sylvester Stallone and Conan O’Briens Social Security numbers were also leaked as well the social security numbers of over 47,000 Sony Pictures employees.

The hack into Sony Pictures has left other Hollywood studios scrambling to ensure they have adequate cyber security. Chairman of Fox Television Group and CEO Dana Walden stated that the Sony attack has had a significant impact on Fox.

“It kind of terrified all of us,” Walden said. “I know that 21st Century Fox, the parent company of the organizations I oversee, is taking dramatic steps to try and beef up security and make sure we’re not exposed to that type of situation, but it’s really terrifying.

In the days since the Sony Pictures hack, Sony’s Play Station network has also been hacked and Sony employee’s have received threatening emails. The FBI has declined to comment but are reportedly investigating the attack.

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