In a 2012 op-ed published amid the scandal, Foster defended "a kid actor's right to be a kid," addressing how amid public interest of celebrities, we "seldom consider the childhoods we unknowingly destroy in the process." She recalled how her mother would say, 'This too shall pass,' and how she hated that phrase.

"Now it just seems quaint, but oddly true. Eventually this all passes," Foster wrote in the Daily Beast. "The public horrors of today eventually blow away. And, yes, you are changed by the awful wake of reckoning they leave behind. You trust less. You calculate your steps. You survive. Hopefully in the process you don't lose your ability to throw your arms in the air again and spin in wild abandon. That is the ultimate F.U. and—finally—the most beautiful survival tool of all. Don't let them take that away from you."

After the kissing pics were published online, Stewart issued a public apology, saying in a statement, "I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."