Stephen Bear has been found guilty of violating a restraining order held by his ex-partner, Georgia Harrison. Despite serving jail time for unlawfully uploading a sex tape of them on OnlyFans, Bear admitted to breaching the restraining order by launching an online smear campaign against Harrison.
Upon his release from prison in early 2024, Bear initiated a social media crusade accusing Harrison of conspiring against him, insinuating that his guilty verdict was part of a covert scheme. His posts, some of which garnered millions of views, included defamatory content and images of Harrison.
While pregnant at the time, Harrison expressed distress and trauma but opted not to attend court for Bear’s conviction. She cited that her presence would feed his desire for attention, which she believed fueled his actions more than facing consequences. Harrison emphasized the need to shift focus towards altering societal norms rather than witnessing her ex-partner’s incarceration.
A vocal advocate for women’s safety, Harrison gained prominence after appearing on Love Island in 2017 and transitioned into activism by 2021. Her efforts led to receiving an MBE, a first for a Love Island contestant, recognizing her advocacy work for women’s rights.
In a separate incident in January 2021, Bear was arrested for sharing a private sex tape of Harrison on his OnlyFans account, leading to his conviction for voyeurism and disclosure of intimate materials. Following a 21-month prison term and a five-year restraining order against contacting Harrison, Bear was released early from his sentence.
The investigating officer, Detective Constable Swarv Stafin, condemned Bear’s online behavior towards Harrison, deeming it unacceptable and stressing the detrimental effects of harassment, including anxiety and stress. Stafin commended Harrison for her resilience and criticized Bear’s campaign to discredit her.
In response to the ordeal, Harrison established the Georgia Harrison Foundation to combat the toxic online culture perpetuated by the manosphere. This ideology, championed by figures like Andrew Tate and HS Tikky Tokky, promotes traditional gender roles, glorifies ‘alpha’ males, and disparages independent women, fostering misogynistic beliefs and alleging a conspiracy against men discovering the “truth.”
The manosphere’s influence extends beyond online platforms, with the Revenge Porn Helpline reporting a 20.9% increase in cases of private image sharing in the previous year. Support for Harrison’s cause came from Labour MP Jess Phillips, who lauded her courage in advocating for legal reforms against revenge porn and championing gender equality.
Phillips underscored the Foundation’s commitment to challenging the manosphere, denouncing it as an industry that profits from demeaning women and indoctrinating young men with harmful ideologies.