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Busting bad dish!

Hot Topics Jennifer Lawrence Kim Kardashian Rihanna Robert Pattinson Beyonce Justin Bieber Kristen Stewart

California Passes Bill that Targets Reckless Paparazzi

Truth rating: 10

8:31 pm, August 31st, 2010

(GettyImages.com)

The paparazzi situation has long been out of control.

On Tuesday, the California Assembly took action.

Legislators overwhelmingly approved a bill that will hit reckless photographers with harsh penalties including possible imprisonment.

According to the legislation, photographers who break traffic laws or interfere with the operation of a celebrity’s car can receive a maximum $5,000 fine and one year imprisonment.

After making its way through the Assembly and Senate this summer, a modified version passed Tuesday’s reconfirmation vote 43-13.

Now the state’s governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger – himself a victim of paparazzo pests — must sign the act into law.

“We feel this new law will improve public safety in general and hopefully prevent anyone else from getting hurt,” said Paparazzi Reform Initiative founder Sean Burke.

Celebrities including Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon have supported the measure, and with good reason considering recent events.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart had to flee paparazzi who weaved through Los Angeles traffic, endangering the stars and other motorists.

Lindsay Lohan‘s first tweet after rehab took on photographers who hounded her as she drove.

Paparazzi badgered January Jones into a minor accident, provoked Alexander Skarsgard and took invasive shots of Tori Spelling‘s toddler, among other offenses. In general, photographers indifferent to decency have far more entitled than the celebs they accuse of bad behavior.

Gossip Cop is thrilled to see California take steps toward curbing the paparazzi menace.

Tuesday is the 13th anniversary of Princess Diana‘s death in an accident blamed on swarming photographers. Hopefully, stronger legislation and harsher penalties against paparazzi will help to ensure that an often dangerous tabloid culture doesn’t claim more victims.

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  • crmomof2

    It’s about time! I hope that the law is enforced.

  • Breeze27

    It is totally about time!!! The paparazzi have run amuck with absolutely no restrictions. They don’t give a damn about any kind of safety issues for either celebs nor the general public. They are stalkers with cameras who feel no rules of common decency apply to them at all. I’m all for further laws and restrictions on them. Laws like this will hit them where it hurts… their wallets.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Laura-Gobis/1518067089 Laura Gobis

    PLEASE SUPPORT US HERE.

    http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/The-PAPARAZZI-Reform-Initiative/128492180219?ref=ts

    We need all the help we can get to stop this harassment.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Laura-Gobis/1518067089 Laura

    This is a step in the right direction but there needs to be more laws in effect, have any of you seen the disgusting/harassing pap videos out there? The way they stalk they scream out curse words to the stars, run them and OTHERS off the road, they dont care what pedestrian is in the way. Any fan should be outraged.

  • MissZee

    WHOO HOO

  • Aeden70

    Well it’s about time. It’s time the paps get what they deserve.

  • MissZee

    will NYC be following Cali now to toughen up laws??? I hope so…I seen how horrible the paps are

  • robsessed1986

    It’s about time!!! Hopefully this will keep celebs and innocent bystanders safe. Let’s hope that NY will follow suit.

  • mud

    YES! I’m so glad California did this. Seriously, I’m all for freedom of the press but calling anything the paparazzi or tabloids do as press, as journalism is like saying a show like Jersey Shore is like Hamlet. It’s not journalism. But more, I think, needs to be done. I’ve watched some of the videos of the stars arriving or leaving airports or out to dinner or just running errands. The stars are surrounded and hounded. They are taunted and yelled at with lewd questions, all to get a reaction for the pictures. They photograph their young children. It’s wrong. So, I hope that this Bill leads to more legislation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tricia-Valadez/100000792946997 Tricia Valadez

    How about putting a limit on the amount of money they can get paid for a photo? Greed fuels the frenzy.

  • Suefromnc

    Thank God! Let’s just hope it becomes a law soon before someone is hurt or killed!

  • silver

    Thank goodness legalized stalking if final being shut down

  • msbarb1211

    Finally! The harassment needs to stop! They are like vultures surrounding dead prey.

  • BeReal

    THANK YOU, JESUS! These are people (celebs) that we love. We don’t want to see them getting hurt nor the people who aren’t celebs. They need to curb the barbarism of the paparazzi. Our country was not founded on the treatment that these wonderful people who bring us enjoyment in our lives, get from the paparazzi and the tabloids. These people do work hard just like anybody else. God says that we are to lay down our lives for our neighbors. These people are human. I want to see more laws. They need to stay away from their personal lives…that also is stalking. They need to keep a distance from them.

  • robsessed1986

    Tricia Valadez,
    I don’t think that there can be a law limiting the amount of money these pics can be bought and sold at. But, we as consumers, can do something. We can, as fans, stop buying rag tabloids. They never report the truth anyway. We can also stop logging on to “tabloid” type websites. They also sell lies. We can control “supply and demand” of these pics by not buying these rags or logging onto these websites. If there is no demand for these pics, there will be no reason for tabloids to buy these pics and therefore, no paparazzi because no one will want to buy these pics. These paps will have to go get a real job like the rest of us.
    I know that we all want to know the latest about our favorite celebs. So, instead of turning to rag tabloids and websites, we can go to let’s say, Gossip Cop. Rob Pattinson also has many fan made websites(not official, of coarse) that do not post pics taken by paparazzi. They are “paparazzi FREE” websites. I’m sure there are many of these good types of celeb websites out there for everyone’s favorite celebs that are also “paparazzi FREE”.
    By the way, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if there will soon be an appeal filed in Federal Court regarding the new paparazzi law in California. I’m sure the paps will say this new law is a violation of their First Amendment Rights to Freedom of the Press.
    Of course there will be no mention of the many rights of the many celebrities that are being violated everyday by these same paparazzi. You know, the right to privacy, the pursuit of happiness, etc.

  • BeReal

    I agree robsessed. The last time I bought a tabloid was back in 2004. When they started this negative, low stuff and the “putting down” of my favorite celeb that I thought was needless, then that was the turning point for me. They try to break up their relationships by getting into their private lives, etc.
    Another way we can get information about our favorite celeb is what they post on twitter. Even though twitter is a way of the tabloids “stealing” this info. The tabloids have gotten so that they steal the info that they post and put a negative spin on it. They are so low. The celebs can’t do anything unless they are there in their business or their postings that they strictly have for their fans to know, that THEY want to give them. Some of them can’t post anything from the tabloids grabbing it and using it in their way.
    I just think that celebs are treated very badly for people who try to bring into our homes things that we enjoy and learn from.
    There are some that they treat like they are not human.

  • pookie8

    Finally, thank god!!!!

  • robsessed1986

    BeReal,
    I agree with you, too.
    On the subject of twiiter, just make sure that it really is your favorite celeb. You wouldn’t believe how many fakes there are out there. I think, if it really is the celeb, they are verified.
    And, yes, stop buying all the paparazzi trash. You will improve and protect Rob and the other celebs we all love.

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