10 Times When the Paparazzi Truly Crossed the Line
Being a celebrity definitely comes with its ups and downs. Although it may seem cool to be adored by millions of people, the fact that people constantly have access to what’s going on in your life must get stressful after a while. With the work of paparazzi, who often spend countless hours following celebrities around, people have been able to see photos and videos of their favorite stars during times when they most certainly did not want to be seen. However, for the sake of a good shot, there have been plenty of situations where paparazzi have gone too far. Some of these instances have been so extreme that they have continued to live on in Hollywood history. Here 10 times when the paparazzi truly crossed the line.
Chris Brown
Over the last few years, Chris Brown has become the king of bad press, and as a result – the paparazzi love him. In 2013, Chris Brown found himself in a very intense situation when he attempted to lose the paparazzi while driving through Los Angeles. According to reports, two members of the paparazzi cut Brown off and jumped out of their cars with cameras. Trying to escape, Brown lost control of his vehicle, drove into a wall, and totaled his car.
(Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for NYLON)
Jennifer Aniston
Former Friends star, Jennifer Aniston, found herself unknowingly baring it all back in 1999 when she was sunbathing topless in her own backyard. An overzealous photographer decided to scale her neighbor’s fence and take pictures of Aniston using a high-powered lens. He then sold the photos and they were eventually published in several magazines. Aniston sued the photographer and ended up with an out of court settlement.
(Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon had a very nasty run in with paparazzi back in 2005 when she and her family were out at Disney theme park celebrating her daughter’s sixth birthday. Trying to get a good shot, a photographer pushed through a crowd of children. During his push, he smacked a five-year-0ld boy in the face with his camera and swore loudly in front of Witherspoon and other park goers. The photographer was eventually arrested and charged with six counts of battery.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Britney Spears
Over the course of her career, Britney Spears has definitely had some very interesting moments with the paparazzi. However, in 2005 things took a crazy turn when during a paparazzi stake out on Spears, a photographer too a ‘bullet’ to the leg. Initially, it was thought that Spears or one of her bodyguards had something to do with the incident, but it was later revealed that the ‘bullet’ was actually a BB, and did not come from anyone in Spears’ camp.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Tori Spelling
The paparazzi has a knack for not knowing when to stop, and a 2011 incident with Tori Spelling proved to be no different. As usual, the paparazzi decided to follow Spelling in her car; however, this time she was on her way to pick up her kids from school. In an effort to lose them, Spelling lost control of her car and drove directly into a wall at her children’s school. Not only was that embarrassing, but it could have led to some very serious injuries to not only spelling, but children at the school as well.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Okay, so everyone deserves to earn a living, but when that living starts infringing on the rights and safety of others, there’s a serious problem. Back in 1998 the paparazzi took things way too far when two photographers used their cars to box in the car that Schwarzenegger and his wife were driving. They were trapped for hours while the photographers snapped photos of the couple. At the time, Schwarzenegger had recently undergone heart surgery, and his wife was pregnant. The photographers were eventually charged for false imprisonment.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Justin Bieber
Sure, Justin Bieber can be pretty annoying, but even he doesn’t deserve to be harassed by the paparazzi. However, they don’t seem to see it that way. In 2013, photographer, Chris Guerra, was killed after being struck by a car while following a car that he thought belonged to Bieber.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)
Nicole Kidman
This paparazzo clearly has absolutely no shame in his game. While trying to get photographs of actress Nicole Kidman, photographer Carl Wu, decided to follow Kidman’s car on his bike. However, when Kidman exited the car, Wu couldn’t stop fast enough and slammed into Kidman at 20 MPH. Now let’s think about this for a second, bicycle or not, 20 MPH is a lot of force to slam into an unsuspecting person. Wu was arrested, and Kidman decided to press charges.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Lindsay Lohan
Over the last couple years, it’s become apparent that Lindsay Lohan just can’t catch a break, and her 2005 run in with the paparazzi was no different. While trying to snag some exclusive shots of Lohan, a paparazzo sped through rush hour traffic and purposely crashed his car into Lohan’s. The paparazzo was arrested and it was revealed that he had a warrant for outstanding drug charges.
(Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images for Philipp Plein)
Princess Diana
The story of Princess Diana’s fatal run in with the paparazzi is perhaps the most tragic of them all. In 1997, Princess Diana and her friend, Dodi Fayed, were followed by a group of photographers. Although her driver attempted to lose the group, he lost control of the car and crashed in the tunnel. The crash resulted in the death of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed, and the driver.
(Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)
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