Paparazzi

Paparazzi are photographers who earn a living by taking candid, or unposed and unplanned, photographs of celebrities. They sell these photos to magazines, websites, and other publications.

At times, paparazzi are accused of going too far. They may invade a celebrity’s privacy by taking photos in private places they do not have permission to be. Other times, celebrities try to avoid having their pictures taken. They may try to get away or even grab the photographer’s camera.

The word paparazzi comes from the 1960 movie, La Dolce Vita. A character in the film, Signor Paparazzo, goes to extremes to take pictures.

Background

Even before La Dolce Vita, paparazzi were dedicated to documenting the activities of the rich and famous. Federico Fellini, the director of the film, spent years watching the so-called "scandal sheet photographers" as they followed Hollywood movie stars. Fellini was inspired to create the character Paparazzo when he saw photographer Tazio Secchiaroli trying to take a photo of the king of Egypt in Rome—and getting into a fight with the resisting royal.

The methods used by paparazzi during the 1950s were flashy and shocking. They used cameras with flashes that recharged very slowly, so they needed to get close and shoot quickly. Many paid assistants to drive them around on scooters called Vespas. They swiftly rode in close, surprised a celebrity with a click of the shutter, and sped away seconds later. Secchiaroli was one of the most successful photographers of this era. He learned that he could earn many thousands more for a photo of an extremely angry celebrity than for an ordinary shot, and he found ways to get such photos.

American photographer Ron Galella (b. 1931) went even further. He operated in New York City, where he shadowed Jackie Onassis (1929–94). In 1972, she famously filed and won a lawsuit against Galella. He had to stay at least 100 yards (300 feet) from her home and at least 50 yards (150 feet) from Onassis and her children. Other celebrities objected to Galella’s attentions more forcefully. Actor Marlon Brando (1924–2004) attacked Galella, breaking his jaw. Galella was also beaten up by the bodyguards of actor Richard Burton (1925–1984).

Modern Paparazzi

Paparazzi try to get unique photos so they can sell them for a lot of money. They want to get photos that no other photographer has. This can include photos of celebrities who rarely are out in public, are with their children, or look unkempt often sell well.

Sometimes paparazzi break the law to get unusual photos. Some break into celebrities’ homes or lie to get into private events. They may use telephoto lenses to secretly take photos or even set up hidden cameras. Some have even deliberately provoked celebrities, taunting them or getting very close in order to get a reaction they can photograph.

Some celebrities have found ways to defeat the paparazzi. Rather than hide a new baby, which creates a frenzy as photographers try to get the first images, many celebrities sign exclusive contracts with magazines, collecting the large fees for themselves. Others simply step out in public—standing in front of the hospital with a new baby, for example. If everyone has the same photos, and people have already seen the infant, it is less likely that photographers will go to extremes for a photo.

Controversy

None of the stories about the lengths to which paparazzi will go for a unique shot prepared the world for the events of August 31, 1997.

Princess Diana (1961–1997), former wife of British King Charles III (b. 1948), left a hotel in Paris with her bodyguard and a friend, Dodi Al Fayed. A number of paparazzi were at the hotel. When they saw the princess’s Mercedes, they began to follow it.

The cars were traveling at a high rate of speed as the driver, Henri Paul, tried to evade the paparazzi. Paul lost control and crashed the car into a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel shortly after midnight. None of the occupants were wearing seatbelts. Only the bodyguard survived, though he was seriously injured.

News of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, sent shockwaves around the world. Around-the-clock news coverage revealed that Diana had been running away from the paparazzi. Several of the photographers on the scene were arrested.

The public—and members of the royal family—blamed aggressive paparazzi for causing the situation that led to the enormously popular princess’s death. A report issued many years later indicated that the driver had drugs and alcohol in his system, but much of the investigation centered on the photographers as the cause of death. An inquest found that gross negligence—on the part of Paul and the paparazzi—resulted in the victims’ "unlawful killing."

Though charges of manslaughter against the photographers were dismissed, several faced other charges. Three paparazzi had taken photos of Diana as she was dying. They were found guilty of breaching French privacy laws and fined—a symbolic one euro.

The magazine industry and the paparazzi were greatly affected by the death of Diana. Her young sons publicly laid the blame at the photographers’ feet. In the years that followed, several laws were passed limiting paparazzi from intruding on privacy.

The death of Princess Diana resulted in a widespread outcry against paparazzi and led to several legal limitations on their ability to take photographs. In Great Britain, the Protection from Harassment Act of 1997 made it illegal to harass or intimidate members of the public in an effort to photograph others. In the United States, public photography is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution, but several state laws have been passed to limit the paparazzi in certain situations. A 2013 California law made it illegal to photograph a child in a harassing manner. Another law made it an offense if a photographer engages in reckless driving in pursuit of photos. Nevertheless, in the United States, several incidents with the paparazzi have arisen that cause concern among the public. In 2012, actor Tom Cruise led the paparazzi on a high-speed chase through Manhattan with his then six-year-old daughter in the car. In 2023, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a highspeed paparazzi chase in New York that almost resulted in several crashes. Many news outlets compared the chase to the one in 1997 that killed the Duke's mother, Princess Dianna.

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