It’s Easy To See — 2014 Was The Year Of The Celebrity Nude Photo

Kaitlan Collins Contributor
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The year 2014 has been called a lot of things. TIME gave it to the Ebola fighters, who fought a war of “bleach and prayer.” The Chinese Zodiac deemed it the year of the horse, and E! Online gave 18 reasons for it being the year of the booty, making it “official.”

But they’re all wrong, because we know what 2014 was really all about: the celebrity nude photo.

Whether it was for a magazine, because they were pregnant, because hackers accessed every naked pose of all their personal photos, or simply because they’re good at being nude, celebrities got naked a lot in 2014. Like, we’re talking a lot.

In August, an absolute treasure trove of nude photos were posted on websites Reddit and 4Chan. Photos of Jennifer Lawrence taking topless selfies, and Kate Upton posing with boyfriend Justin Verlander completely naked spread widely and furiously, and the leaks continued to come.

Jennifer Lawrence nude photos

(Photo: Vanity Fair)

It’s hard to name a celebrity who wasn’t targeted. Ariana Grande, Kirsten Dunst, Emily Ratajkowski, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and a myraid of others had their private parts laid bare for the world to see. (RELATED: Nude Photos Of Jennifer Lawrence And Kate Upton Released In Huge Leak)

Kate Upton nude photos

(Photo: Sports Illustrated)

Kim Kardashian had her nude photos leaked, too, but those were less of a surprise because the 34-year-old reality star and mother posed nude not once, but twice this year. On purpose. So when asked about whether she felt violated when hers leaked, Kim knew she couldn’t really be mad.

“I’m also realistic. I’m on covers of magazines practically naked, so I can’t go crazy about it,” Kardashian said.

Kim’s bare assets definitely contributed to the year of the celebrity nude photo.

First, she won British GQ’s “Woman of the Year,” so naturally she got naked to celebrate.

Like, laying-in-a-bed-wearing-only-a-sheet naked.

Kim Kardashian nude photos

(Photo: British GQ)

But that wasn’t the last time we’d see Kim’s bare butt.

In an attempt to “break the Internet,” and as if we hadn’t already seen every inch and angle of her body, she gleefully got naked (and a little greasy) for Paper Magazine. (RELATED: Kim Kardashian Went Fully Nude Again, Free Of Charge)

Kim Kardashian nude photos

(Photo: Paper Magazine)

But enough about Kim Kardashian. She wasn’t the only celebrity that took it off this year.

Keira Knightley posed nude for a magazine, too.

However, her topless photo was meant to have the opposite effect of Kardashian’s. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star went shirtless as a form of protest, which is certainly one way to get a message across. (RELATED: Keira Knightley Went Topless To Protest Photoshop)

Keira Knightley nude

(Photo: Interview magazine)

And then Kourtney Kardashian posed nude because she’s pregnant with her third child, so why not?

Kourtney Kardashian poses nude

(Photo: DuJour magazine)

Then it was Rihanna posing nude for this French magazine cover, but for less maternal reasons. (RELATED: Rihanna Gives Fan Lap Dance On Stage)

Rihanna nude photos

(Photo: Lui magazine)

And even Madonna, at age 56, showed hers.

Madonna nude photos

(Photo: Interview magazine)

Of course, it wouldn’t be celebrity nudity if Miley Cyrus wasn’t involved.

miley cyrus poses nude

(Photo: V magazine)

Clearly, celebrities have a lot of reasons for getting naked, and undoubtedly believe in the “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours” philosophy.

So it’s settled. We officially declare 2014 “The Year of the Celebrity Nude Photo.”