Big Brother Alumni Maor Baruchman Criticizes Yanki Goldhaber for Using 'Rape' to Describe Online Abuse

Earlier this week, Yanki Goldhaber, a 23-year-old former contestant of the Haredi version of Big Brother, revealed that he experienced what he described as "rape" twice, involving sexual extortion and threatening messages that caused him distress. Many initially assumed he was referring to physical sexual assault, but Goldhaber later clarified that he meant "technological rape," referring to online abuse rather than physical violence.

Maor Baruchman, a 36-year-old former Big Brother contestant, publicly criticized Goldhaber's choice of words, particularly his use of the term "rape." She acknowledged that sexual extortion, threats, and emotional or sexual exploitation online are serious crimes deserving condemnation. However, she argued that not every trauma should be labeled as rape.

Baruchman emphasized that equating "technological rape" with physical rape blurs important distinctions. She highlighted that for many survivors, rape involves forced sexual acts, non-consensual penetration, severe trauma, and lifelong physical and psychological consequences. She stated, "You cannot take the word 'rape' and expand it to include every severe harm just because the feeling was one of helplessness."

She concluded by stressing the importance of preserving the specific meaning of "rape" to maintain its gravity and urged society to address sexual extortion, digital violence, and online exploitation with full seriousness, but without conflating them with physical rape.