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Updated: Sep 23, 2014 16:53 IST

Hackers have threatened to leak alleged nude photos of Harry Potter star Emma Watson following her gender equality speech at the UN Headquarters.

Watson, a UN women goodwill ambassador, delivered her speech on Sunday and launched UN Women 'HeForShe' campaign.

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The hackers (identity unknown) started a website with the url emmayouarenext.com, and claimed nude photos will be published in retaliation to her speech where she announced that she was a feminist.

The validity of the claim is in question, but some posters in the original thread were maintaining that there will be a payoff.

"It is real and going to happen this weekend," the comment added.

The site is believed to have been made by members of the internet forum 4chan, who were behind the recent release of hacked pictures of celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.

Watson had come to defence of Jennifer Lawrence after her nude images were hacked and uploaded, “Even worse than seeing women's privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy.

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Meanwhile, the actor's Sunday address was hailed as 'game-changing', 'stirring' and 'powerful'. While launching the campaign, Watson called on men and boys worldwide to raise their voice for gender equality and women's empowerment.

Referring to her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, Watson said in her address, "Who is this 'Harry Potter' girl and what is she doing speaking at the UN?" while admitting that she had asked herself the same question since being named as UN women goodwill ambassador.

"All I know is that I care about this problem and want to make it better. I feel it is my responsibility to say and do something. I am reaching out to you because we need your help. We want to end gender inequality and to that we need everyone involved," Watson said.

She disclosed that she became a feminist after being told she was too "bossy" for wanting to direct a play at the age of eight.

Watson, who starred as Hermione in the Harry Potter series, said she had been "confused" at being insulted for wanting to take charge, while boys were allowed to direct without question.

Saying being a "feminist" had initially seemed "uncomplicated" to her, she argued it is now considered "aggressive" and "anti-men" by too many people.

Exhorting men and boys to raise their voices, she said, "I want men to take up this mantle. So that their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice, but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too, reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves."