Since paparazzi attention can lead to very unsafe situations, Scarlett Johansson and other celebrities are now calling for stricter laws in order to limit the risk that they are put in whenever they go outside. So let’s remember some of the most dangerous paparazzi vs. celebrity incidents.
Princess Diana
I would argue that this is the most famous case of paparazzi being blamed for an incident involving a celebrity. What’s worse – the celebrity in question died. The cause of the accident was said to be reckless behavior of paparazzi who left the driver no chance but to drive into that tunnel where the crash happened. Although many conspiracy theories surrounded her death, the final verdict was that the death was caused by reckless driving which, itself, was caused by the need to flee from paparazzi.
Scarlett Johansson
Since princess Diana’s death, the “the paparazzi did it!” has become a very popular excuse for celebrities who have experienced vehicular misfortunes. When everyone’s favorite actress Scarlett Johansson got into a car crash, she also claimed that the reckless behavior of paparazzi caused Henri Paul (the one driving the car) to crash their Mercedes. Turns out, Mr. Henri Paul was intoxicated by prescription drugs. So it’s more like a DUI than a paparazzi incident, and hence – Scarlet did was not allowed to press criminal charges against the nosy photographers.
George Clooney
It’s not all bad car crashes and disaster when it comes to paparazzi incidents with celebrities. In a famous instance of #GeorgeClooneyBeingAGoodGuy, everyone’s favorite silver fox pulled over the paparazzi and gave them a stern talking to for their reckless behavior. The incident was filmed and submitted to TMZ who reported on this incident. If only more people were like George Clooney. I honestly think we would live in a much safer world!
Lindsay Lohan
After crashing her car, Lindsay Lohan claimed that paparazzi were cutting her off and trying to take a picture. Now, this isn’t “Parent Trap” Lindsay we’re talking about – it’s infamous off the rails Lindsay Lohan. Nobody believed her reasoning for a second (rightly so, it was later found to be a DUI incident), but the crash still made every single yellow front page in America. To be perfectly honest, I can’t wait until self-driving cars become a thing so things like this don’t happen anymore.
Adele’s Son
In this one, Adele sued paparazzi over photos which documented her son’s “milestone moments”. Adele is a very private person, so it makes sense that she would like to secure her child’s privacy even more than her own. And so, when some photos of her child appeared “out there” in the world, she sued the paparazzi who took them. She won the suit. It was a five-figure suit as well! From now on, nobody’s going to be taking Angelo Adkins’s photos without Adele’s permission. Family gatherings must be stressful.
Caitlyn Jenner
One more vehicle incident. In 2015 Caitlyn Jenner got in to a car crash in Malibu. Unfortunately, there were fatalities. Unfortunately, there were fatalities. When the investigation was completed, it was established that the reckless driving of the stalking paparazzi did, indeed, cause Caitlyn Jenner to temporarily get distracted, which, in turn, caused the crash.
Britney’s Umbrella
Remember Britney’s dark times? I still wake up sometimes and think, “If Britney could make it through 2007, I can make it through today.” But anyway, this paparazzi incident is actually hilarious. So, in 2007, during the dark period in her life, Britney smashed her estranged husband’s SUV with an umbrella. She broke a window in Kevin Federline’s car, yelled a few profanities, and left. The whole incident was obviously recorded by paparazzi. The hilarious bit is this — in 2007, the umbrella she used to smash the car went on auction! Now, that’s truly a piece of 21st century pop-culture history!
Kanye’s Head Injury
Ah, Kanye. Nobody loves Kanye more than Kanye loves Kanye, but rest assured that the paparazzi love Kanye very, very much! Over the years there have been many incidents involving Kanye and nosy paparazzi, but I’m just going to share my absolute favorite. As Kanye and Kim were trying to flee from paparazzi, Kanye was too hiding his face from the photographers and videographers to actually look where he was going. He then hit his head on a stop sign. It is my own, personal, pet theory that Kanye’s post 2015 antics are a direct result of a minor head injury caused on that day.
Will Smith
The Ukrainian paparazzi/reporter, Vitalii Sediuk, decided that it would be a good idea to kiss Will Smith. It was an inappropriate, unprofessional, and down right creepy thing to do, and the response was reasonable. Will Smith slapped him. The kiss and slap both went viral, Will Smith had to make endless comments about his actions, and Vitalii Sediuk was forgotten until his next celebrity stunt. What was the point, really? Fun fact: Jay-Z later told Will Smith that slapping the paparazzi was his best work. I, personally, am a fan of the Fresh Prince rap, but that slap does come in at a close second.
