Why do bad things happen to good people? This has been quite the year for Big Love writer Dustin Lance Black—one moment he’s being honored in Los Angeles by gay youth-mentoring group LifeWorks, and the next moment his private photos are blasted all over the internet.

The writer, whose Milk script nabbed him the 2009 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, has been a supporter of the LGBT movement and advocate of safe sex. Intimate photos of Black and an ex-boyfriend engaging in what appears to be risky sex were leaked to photo agency Starzlife the other day.

In response to the leak, Black told E! Online’s Mark Malkin the following:

“It is unfortunate that individuals and other outside parties are trying to profit from material which is clearly private,” Black said in the statement released to me Friday afternoon. “I have had the privilege to speak to people across the country, both gay and straight, on a number of critical issues including safe sex. More important than the embarrassment of this incident is the misleading message these images send. I apologize and cannot emphasize enough the importance of responsible sexual practices.”

A source claims that Black’s lawyers are seeking legal action to prevent the photos from distribution.