British pop boy band One Direction’s emails have reportedly been hacked, adding their names to a growing list of celebrities who are part of the Sony hacking scandal. Contact Music states that private conversations within the emails were reportedly stolen by the same group who attempted to delay the release of Seth Rogen’s movie, The Interview .
Aussies! Have you got your tickets to #OnTheRoadAgain tour in February, 2015? Not long now! http://t.co/yKCB8URuuP https://t.co/1aRFXA9clN
— One Direction (@onedirection) December 25, 2014
What’s inside the emails is not known, but Axys states that they could potentially cause “embarrassment” for the group made up of singers Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. There is speculation that the emails between Sony and 1D could contain the music stars’ contracts and demands.
There is also a concern as to whether hackers will release music online ahead of the official release date from not just One Direction , but other music artists as well. Putting the files online for free public downloading would be a huge financial loss for the artists.
“We’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. It could end up as a financial disaster so enormous that the company, at least in its present form, might not even survive.”
Media analyst Mike Raia explained the worst-case scenario to The Daily Star :
“The potential embarrassment and turmoil would be as devastating as that which has crippled Sony’s movie-making arm and effectively killed the general release of The Interview … We’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. It could end up as a financial disaster so enormous that the company, at least in its present form, might not even survive.”
One Direction isn’t the only band caught up in the Sony email hacking. Axys reports that several high-profile artists, including Adele, Beyonce, Rita Ora, and David Bowie have also had their private conversations stolen via hackers who were able to access their email accounts.
Night Changes #1DTVSpecial pic.twitter.com/3FIN8QkXuh
— One Direction (@onedirection) December 24, 2014
U.S. intelligence officials have stated that the Sony hack is tied to the North Korean government over the release of The Interview — a comedy that stars Seth Rogen and James Franco who are on a mission to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. So far, North Korea has denied being responsible for the massive hack, with some reports indicating that the hacking could be an inside job within Sony .
Hacked emails aside, the show must go on. The Inquisitr previously reported that One Direction recently announced that their “On The Road Again 2015” tour will kick off on July 9, 2015 in San Diego, California. The 1D tour will run right through the summer and will end in Boston, Massachusetts on September 12.