George Clooney hates the paparazzi for good reason. He was one of the first people to speak out against photographers and tabloids for their role in the accident that caused Princess Diana’s death in 1997. Clooney was boycotted for a while by some tabloids for that. He hasn’t harped on the paparazzi since, but he did explain in late 2007 that the paparazzi were committing illegal, dangerous acts in an attempt to provoke celebrities. He clearly stated that they he didn’t mind them taking photos, but that it went way beyond that and their actions were putting people’s lives in danger. “What they’re doing is illegal. It’s high-speed chases and they’re competing with each other. They’re not trying to catch me doing something stupid, they’re trying to create me doing something stupid.”
Clooney lives next to Britney Spears’ previous residence when he’s stateside, (where she had her breakdown in January, 2008) and he’s explained that he finds the paparazzi out of hand. They regularly camp out near his Lake Como, Italy estate, and he’s pulled some minor stunts to deter them – like reportedly installing an egg throwing machine and renting tables to fuel the rumor that Brad and Angelina were getting married.
Now the paparazzi have stepped way out of line, though. Someone breached his property in Italy and took pictures of a 13 year-old guest topless as she was changing inside his home. Some magazines reportedly published the pictures, and Clooney is understandably taking legal action:
George Clooney is gearing up for a legal war in Italy — claiming invasive paparazzi climbed over the wall of his Italian home and shot a topless photo of a 13-year-old girl changing in one of his guest rooms.
The photographer also took shots of Clooney and his girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis enjoying private moments in the yard of his estate.
The photos were published in two magazines — and in a statement to TMZ, Clooney says he’s gunning to sue both the mags and the photog who took the pictures.
“We’re suing two magazines AND a photographer. I don’t know about the law in the United States but in Italy it’s illegal for photographers to climb over my wall and to take long lens pictures of a 13-year-old girl in her bedroom.
I draw the line of privacy at that.”
–George Clooney
[From TMZ]
That’s really disgusting that someone would think that’s ok. I haven’t seen these photos, but they’re probably far away and blurry. Maybe the photographers mistakenly believed they were pictures of Clooney’s girlfriend, not an underage guest.
Maybe this terrible breach of privacy will help Clooney shake off some of the paparazzi that are constantly stalking him. He does have some high profile celebrity friends visit – Matt Damon an Don Cheadle were at Clooney’s estate last week – and you can understand the paparazzi’s motivation, but pictures shouldn’t be allowed on private property.
George Clooney is shown on 7/10/09 taking a tour of the earthquake hit town, St. Eusanio, in Italy. Credit: Fame Pictures
Good for him. I agree, the celebrity photographers are a low breed of scum.
That poor girl! How disgusting of those paps–it’s like they’ll justify breaking any law to get “the money shot”.
I know some will say that having people follow him around and take photos is “the price of fame so he should STFU” but this is blatant trespassing. NO ONE should have to put up with THAT degree of privacy invasion! I hope George sues them for every dime they’ll ever make, to set an example for the rest of them.
They went way way too far this time and I hope they’re punished for it.
thats truly sick. child porn crosses every line there is. Jesus.
One time I had a dream that Clooney invited my mom and I to his villa. It was… the best night of my life.
wow – 13? that’s pretty creepy. i hope the people who took and published the photo of that poor girl are charged with child pornography. how awful for her.
I agree totally with George. He makes his point very well in a measured and intelligent way.
They have to create some rules and regulations to how far papz can go. Seriously….one of these days something bad will happen. I hope they take the license of the pap that took the pics.
And i’m 100% with Clooney about the papz killing princess D.
It’s been a year since i bought any of those magazines because of all the bull and lies they write.
I agree this is an issue of trespassing and needs to be stopped.
Do I feel sympathy for Clooney? No, if he has been speaking in the past about Diana, he has in fact had 11 years to take action that would not only benefit himself, but others.
Its about time paps are put in their place! I hope this starts a trend!
Sic… nothing is going to happen…Silvio Berlusconi owns both magazine and the editor-in-chief is one of his best friends. Clooney is powerful but not so powerful to win in this case
Ling- That’s so funny! I had a dream George helped me escape from my car that was stuck in a tunnel that was about to be bombed…..yeah…kinda random.
but STILL the best night of my life. He’s just that good.
So many of the paps act like scum. Well done George. Go get them!
If I was Don Cheadle,somebody would be getting an a$$ kicking. Big time.
As much as I can’t stand Clooney I have to agree with everything he has said, they way the Papzi go about getting their pictures crowding a car so it can’t move then suing when they get struck or have their foot run over by said car is crazy.
Provoking the stars so they can gets shots of them yelling, crazy crap like that video with Everyone Loves Raymond co-star.
I hope charges are pressed against the photog.
Clooney is jot responsible for making our govt. pass laws to stop these people. We shold be able to change or clothing without some tool taking pcitures with a high powered lens or sneaking onto private property. SOmeone is going to shoot one of those people one of these days and I for one would vote not guilty if I was on the jury…for the shooter
Thanks George for exposing the magazines, the people who break laws to get shots like these, and the publishers who allow photos like these to make their way into print. shame on them.
if it were their sisters or daughters i’m sure they’d be outraged too.
hope they pay and pay —
Poor girl, i remember when i was thirteen…..i hated getting breasts(now i love them)puberty sucks !!!
I would be totally horrified if that happened to me, what kind of a sick bastard does that to a innocent child ?
Props for mister Clooney for being a gentleman, i was beginning to think he was the ultimate douche…after reading this story i still have a weak spot for him, hahaha
it comes with the fame, you can take it or leave it all – but yes there is a point where things go to far, like publishing a topless 13-year old, and oh yeah, the death of a former princess.
I’m surprised the legal system doesn’t go after these photographers more often. These people, famous or not, ARE PEOPLE, and need to live their lives in some sort of normalcy. When they are out in public, fine, but I think when they are on privately held property they shouldn’t be allowed to cross onto it without permission. That’s why the stars have those big fences, security, etc. to get away from photographers….
GOOD. Eff those vultures. I hope he bankrupts every last one of those disgusting lowlifes.
I hope they get thrown in jail also for taking pictures of this girl. How sickening, I bet they wouldn’t like their wife, gf or daughters picture naked on the net. How invassive and gross. Just like people on Brad and Angelinas property dressed in cammo with long lense cameras and camping gear. Ex felons aka photographers are allowed to stalk who ever they want even with a criminal record.
Paps are gross, but this story is grosser. Why? This is the oldest trick in the PR book. Instead of having to answer to bad press, just create a new story to lead others away from the negative one. And anyone who works in PR knows just what this is. It goes like this:
Hollywood star mutually agrees to be seen with Italian wannabe star to beef up his public interest right before 2 of his recent flics are about to open. She gets lots of press and photos, complete with her posing in every possible paparazzi ridden, staged photo ops. He in turn, gets more press, oohs and ahhs over the “love interest”, and let’s not forget … lots of sex from a willing and ready “starlet” whose practice of eating “hotdogs” can now be seen on the internet simply by Googling her name and the word “porn”. And look out!! That hotdog eating is complete with plenty of, ummmm, “whipped cream” plastered all over her greedy face. She loves this “whipped cream” so much she even sucks it from her lips. She’s enjoying it. And you can, too, simply by searching it on the web. But wait!!!! What on earth will Hollywood star do now that starlet’s country is crying “Booo!! This starlet eats hotdogs on video and has whipped cream smeared about her face”??? However will he repair the damage being done by this video of this woman whose “penchant” he “didn’t know about”? People are catching on!! Something must be done!! Where is Super Man when you need him?? Not to worry, folks!!
Leave that to the “Spin Machine”. With this paid “Spin Machine”, even the dirtiest of spots come “clean”. That’s right, folks!! For a hefty hourly wage, the “Spin Machine” can do better than remove that stain! It can just give you a NEW shirt to wear! It even comes with it’s own Child Protection Badge right on the sleeve!! It’s so beautiful; almost touching. Something new to wear to make you forget all about that nasty stain on the other one. Hollywood star comes out looking new and even heroic! All the naysayers can go back from whence they came, because you’ve already forgotten about the “hotdogs” and “whipped cream” your lady love enjoys so well. Hollywood star even tells her she can eat hotdogs he supplies in his own bed and he’ll even thrown in a can of his own homemade “whipped cream” for good measure. He doesn’t care if she gets crumbs in his bed. Because he’s got a NEW shirt to wear and that’s all that matters.
Cue cheers and clapping from the masses. Insert tears of joy and proud hearts and beaming eyes. We can all forget about what ever that was that had made him out to be so soiled and stained and tarnished. The “Spin Machine” took care of it.
And every single one of you BOUGHT IT!!
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Suckers!!!
At Mamma Mia….i am well aware that lots of celebs use spin doctors like they do in Politics(Washington)and they have been using them sinds the 1900’s if not earlier !
A few examples and my own suspicions :
Christian Bale’s embarrassing rant on the set of Terminator 4
Maybe the entire thing was staged to create a huge amount of hype for the upcoming movie ?
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s Marriage at “Breaking Point” in December 2008
Rumors swirled that Lopez’s marriage was on the rocks after she showed up to the premiere of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last week without her 8-carat diamond engagement ring, wedding band – or ever present husband, Marc Anthony (who was spotted in Las Vegas sans wedding band the weekend before).
Multiple sources confirm to Us Weekly their marriage is at a breaking point.
“They both didn’t wear their rings on purpose,” a mutual pal of the married couple of four years (who renewed their vows in October) tells Us. “Nothing Jennifer does is without purpose.” Yeah right……Media Attention to keep them relevant ?
Sean“P.Diddy”Combs was nice enough that he flew in a specialist plastic surgeon from Geneva after his(then)fiancé Kim Porter fell accidentally and broke her nose on his Yacht in august 2005 ?
Earlier that week, MSNBC reported that engaged couple Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Kim Porter, mother of Combs’ youngest son, Christian(and later his twin girls), had an argument on the rap star’s yacht in St. Tropez which left Porter with a broken nose…….In an official statement through her publicist, Porter claimed the story was false and that she hurt her face after she “banged her nose on a table.” Yeah Right……things can get bumpy on a boat ?
The story about GC’s new/temporarily girlfriend being in a porn movie ? Many people claimed it wasn’t her ? She was the one flashing her boobs in a white nun costume in the movie “Virgin Territory” and she is in another Hollywood classic…. Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo….LOL
If Elisabetta Canalis was the one in the porn movie i hope he can relive that scene over and over again for his own pleasure because everybody knows that she is never going to be his wife or the mother of his children !
The line between truth and fiction with the help of social media might become so blurred that no one will be able to tell the difference. Do you think it is possible in this story ?
I don’t know but if it is…..the truth always comes out in the end(Rock Hudson, John Edwards and many many others followed) and he will get his Karma back if he was so low to use a thirteen year old girl in the process of getting his name “cleared” for sleeping around which almost every man does in or out of Hollywood ????
Oh well, if he had me fooled for two seconds, there are worse things in life…NEXT !!!
A fake story to divert the attention, I can believe it. George had bad press last few weeks with Canalis, Pitt and Larson. George is the King of manipulation in Hollywood, it wouldn’t surprised me if this teenager pic has never existed. Who knows.
The Italian press are all very confused about this, no one has seen the pictures in question, they all think it was the picture taken at a window of his latest girlfriend exposing her boob (taken from a distance with a zoom lens)that he is complaining about
If there are other picture of a 13yrs old out there nobody took any notice of them until George got on his high horse.
If he was so concerned about the privacy of this child and wanted to prevent any further humiliation to her, wouldn’t it have been better to let the police and lawyers deal with it quietly, now the whole world is looking for the shots and discussing them. Yep Georges reaction is what HE wants to be done, not about the best interests of a minor. There is PR stench all over this.
And what’s this rubbish about “I don’t know about US law”, liar, of course he knows exactly what US privacy laws entail, he has been a high profile media target for over 15yrs he knows the laws re paparazzi and privacy inside out.
I agree. This is a red herring to take away from the fact that he is dating a famewhoring skank and not any amount of “spin” is going to convince people otherwise. I do NOT think it is okay to take pics of a underage girl or ANY pics taken while trespassing on private property. That said, I could totally see the paparazzi mistaking this girl for his new Italian piece. We certainly have seen her boobies all over the place. George has paraded himself and her around constantly for the past few weeks. Most of them look staged. So George may be pissed at the paparazzi, but he certainly knows how to USE THEM as well.
Of course, Georgie, Josie, Wanderlust! Politicians and celebrities play this game all the time. Their careers 100% depend upon what you and I think of them as people. Until you meet and get to know any of them, it truly means that their whole “public life” could be an utter fabrication. It’s just a matter of supporting the brand image and the brand’s message. If you ask me, politicians and actors are pretty much one and the same – no insult to either. Because the truth is, they ARE the product and they’re selling themselves. Just like a product upgrading it’s packaging slightly to entice consumers, these people will do just the same. It’s an evolution, but it’s only real if the same as what happens behind closed doors is the same as what we see in the public life. Otherwise, their lives are just one great big fat lie.
It’s the whole “Do as I say, not as I do” type of thing. It’s Paris Hilton trying to tell Larry King her favorite passage from the Bible. It’s the White House reports to justify war that we’re forever facing “Code Orange” according to Bush. It’s Courtney Love wearing pretty sun dresses. It’s Sally Field, holding the sign in “Norma Rae” that says “UNION” and just last year helped to push into effect and ratify a contract that would start the demise of the Screen Actors Guild. They are the wolves in sheeps’ clothing and the sheep in wolves’ clothing.
But there’s some merit in all this to consider. No one’s perfect and we shouldn’t expect them to be. I mean, it does pay for all of us in life to focus on the positive … that’s for sure. Even the kindest of people will always have those who hold them in contempt in their eyes. To some degree that needs to be ignored. And yet it does help to accentuate the positive. George Clooney does indeed have positive aspects about him. But through the years, I can’t honestly say that I’ve read too many positive words written about his skanky choices in most of his women. Whether that’s our business or not, I don’t want them paraded in front of me as his new “Lady Loves”. What a crock!!! And that’s because they aren’t his girlfriends but rather his hook-ups and F-friends. Some are lowlier than the last or the next. “So what?” you may say? He’s free to hook up for fun. No one’s calling him out on that. What they are calling him out on is the stark contradiction of his classy image and positive spin on otherwise absolutely repulsive and classless, tasteless, brainless girls and women he beds for fun of it, but puts on airs as if they suit his own supposed “classy” style. Maybe this is his way of telling us, “I am not what the studios want you to believe and I abhor their dishonesty. You should, too.” In some ways at least it was so much more honest when he dated Ginger Allen (is that correct?) and even Krista Allen …. with them he wasn’t trying to conceal their lifestyles and certainly didn’t try to “change” their histories so joe public wouldn’t find out. If he felt pressured by studios or even his publicist or agent to put this spin out there, he had the first word in saying “No thanks.” Otherwise he should have kept his strippers away from shutter bugs like the rest of the same type of stars. I mean, why advertise your latest piece of gutter trash? It does go to show that things aren’t always and maybe seldomly are what they seem.
In other words, it’s all slight of hand. That’s why publicists get paid the big bucks. They can literally forever alter the course of someone’s “history” just by the magic wand they wield. If you’ve seen the movies “Soap Dish” or “America’s Sweethearts”, you know what I mean.
So where does George stand? Personally, I think he’s afraid of getting hurt in something serious and that a touch of narcissism got to him. He’s not ready just yet for something real or is tired of looking and not coming up with just what he wants, and, let’s face it … he’s hot as hell and just like rock stars – females gyrate and dangle their poontang right in his face. Like a hungry lion with a raw stake thrown ate it, he’s gonna take it with no pause. He wants women like he wants his morning paper … to scour and scan over it’s every section and thoroughly digest it, and then send it to the recycling bin. It’s a lot easier than investing time into a relationship with the wrong ones. And I personally cannot blame him for wasting no time with the wrong ones. If more people had that kind of mindset, there’d be a lot less need for divorce lawyers. There’s no fault in that and no one’s exactly saying there is. Because if the minivan crowd knew the real truth, they wouldn’t be going to watch his movies. They want him to be looking for the marriage material and if you read the comments out there on both Sarah Larson and Elisabetta Canalis, they stupidly believe each was the “one”. The tabloids want you to believe that, too. Which is exactly why stories of the heroic man who stands up to defend and protect the “innocent” from the sexual plight of young females everywhere is like putting blinders on a horse. If you keep them from seeing what’s really out there, then to them it doesn’t even exist. The days of the internet, however, have said to publicists everywhere trying to pull these same scams, “Not so fast!”. Only in this situation, you will never see the real truth because this clever stunt involves the “photos” or a supposed girl that you will never witness because by law, they’d don’t and moreover, CAN’T, show them to you. If you ask me, they don’t even exist.
I’m just praying for the day that everyone can say “We knew there was a true gentleman behind all his shennanigans. It just took him some time to finally grow into a real man.” Somewhere his future wife is hoping that day comes before they place him into adult diapers. Because if destiny is a something that can be missed, I am sure she’s awfully tired of waiting.
Let’s hold a mass candlelight vigil in their honor.
Oh, my. It looks like some of the posters forgot to take their meds this morning!
Any photos taken inside a persons property are violations of privacy, regardless if it is George Clooney or Joe Smith from down the block. He has a right to be outraged, however I hope he asks himself a few questions.
1. Why is there a topless photo of my current “whatever”, she is an Italian movie/porn star that is experienced with paparazzi, she knew they were out there and is old enough to know how to close blinds?
2. Then she prances around in a nightie?
I don’t think George would put any houseguest in harms way and would protect them, what he has to realize is one of his houseguests is inviting the attention. I mean really, everyone has seen everything she has to offer in video and print, why is she showing it now?
Who you date and why is your business but try thinking with the head on your shoulders and be prepared to assume the consequences of your decisions.
@barneslr – as I mentioned in a previous post; his fans were going to go apesh*t over Clooney with a new woman. Case and point.
I don’t care whose villa I am in while changing my clothes. I always find a room with no windows (bathroom) or close the blinds prior to.
What a contrived piece of bullsh*t!!
Sounds to me like he’s trying to draw attention to a picture of him and galpal in bed. The reason: to prove he’s not gay. The Italian press is looking for alleged young girl pic. Super PR stunt.
Isn´t George in the Cruise/Travolta closet?
Even apparently Bill O’Reilly is now hopping on the bandwagon, asking the same questions: Where are the supposed photos, who is the supposed girl, who are the supposed photographers, and which are the supposed Italian rags that printed them? Because, it seems, the truth is, those photos don’t even exist and never did. I think the posters above are right … it was just all spin and probably some kind of cover up or away to take people’s attention off Elisabetta Canalis and her boobies and her porn flic and to just blame it on paps who “jumped the wall” and shot photos of the girl. Or maybe the photos do truly exist but they are of yet again, Elisabetta Canalis and her so saggy tits. Whichever, I agree with O’Reilly that it seems mighty unlikely and very uncredible. But Clooney would be in the right if they did exist. Question is: Do they exist? I don’t really think so and I think a lot of gullible people just got pranked by the pr world of Clooney’s publicist. You should read the amount of cat-fighting going on over this on some of the blogsites out there … and to think it’s all over a fake story.
This story is a little disheartening. It is pretty sick that a photographer would take a picture of someone so young in this situation.
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