Actually, I'm not sure this does fall squarely under blackmail.
Consider the case where someone has a tape I don't want shown to the press, and sells that tape to the press for money + prestige, and never gives me any choice in the matter. That's clearly not blackmail. I'm not sure it becomes blackmail when they give me a choice to pay them instead, though the case could be made.
Or consider the case where it turns out I don't mind having the tape shown (I want the publicity, say), and so the person sells the tape to the press, and everyone gets what they want. Also not blackmail. Not even clearly attempted blackmail, though the case could be made.
My point being that it seems to me that for me to legitimately call something "blackmail" it needs to be something the blackmailer threatens to do only because it makes me suffer more than paying them, not something that the blackmailer wants to do anyway for his own reasons that just happens to make me suffer.
I disagree that the essential element to blackmail is it must be done only to make me suffer. To this end I offer a scenario. (I've made it a little more like a story just for giggles).
...You've just won the lottery, and the TV people interviewed you and your wife. Hurray! Shortly after, Angela your mistress calls you up.
"Congratulations. I saw on TV that you won the lottery... I also saw you had a wife. Things are over between us!"
"Angela. I'm sorry for lying baby, but you've got a husband."
"Irrelevant. But, you know, you're
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