UPDATE 1/22/15 11:47 a.m.: And here's Madonna's statement, via her Facebook:
"I am profoundly grateful to the FBI, the Israeli Police investigators and anyone else who helped lead to the arrest of this hacker. I deeply appreciate my fans who have provided us with pertinent information and continue to do so regarding leaks of my music. Like any citizen, I have the right to privacy. This invasion into my life - creatively, professionally, and personally remains a deeply devastating and hurtful experience, as it must be for all artists who are victims of this type of crime." -Madonna
Late in 2014, a trove of leaked cuts from Madonna's new album Rebel Heart hit the internet, which Madonna herself likened to "rape" and "a form of terrorism." (Madonna did some other questionable things between then and now too.) Now, NBC News reports that the hacker behind the leaks has been arrested. A 39-year-old suspect has been apprehended in Israel and is suspected of hacking into the computers of "several international artists," stealing the music and distributing it in exchange for payment.
Although police reps wouldn't explicitly confirm that Madonna's songs were involved in the hacking, Tel Aviv-based firm Wizman Yaar Investigations told NBC News that they had been approached by Madonna's camp after she suspected her computer had been hacked; they found thereafter that an Israeli national had conducted the hack in question and passed the findings along to police.
A spokesperson for Madonna told NBC News that the singer's camp is expected to make a statement on the arrest later today.
