For many celebrities, it is pretty much a given that someone, aka a paparazzi, will be taking a candid photo of them. Some photos are taken while they are doing chores or walking around the block. To counter this, many celebs make an investment towards methods to avoid the paparazzi. However, the paparazzi also invest in ways to be closer to their subject.
Sometimes, though, things can go too far. When push comes to shove for these photographers, some get to receive the short end of the stick, as many of their subjects lash out at them. For example, if a celeb in a car gets angry with a paparazzo, they might step on the gas to pursue them. While celebs are entitled to their privacy, their lash-outs might be more trouble than what they think. Ironically, such incidents keep the spotlight longer on these celebs. Then again, the paparazzi can sometimes be liable for breaching a celebs’ privacy. After all, celebs still have a normal life to live.
Here are some celebs that have lost it on the paparazzi over the years:
Justin Bieber
Pop superstar Justin Bieber lost his cool with photographers a few times. Becoming famous while growing up has put stress on him. We’ve seen many instances of him lashing out at photographers, such as in 2014 in Paris, where he threw a punch at a paparazzo. Recently, he gave a warning to the paparazzi about taking inappropriate shots of his wife, model Hailey Baldwin. Bieber had been training with legendary boxer, Mike Tyson, who is also on this list. So, this nifty investment in himself might be quite useful.
Britney Spears
Britney Spears’ celeb life has been extensively followed since the 1990s. Her ups and downs often made headlines around the world. However, none was as notorious as her altercation with paparazzi back in 2007. This was shortly after she infamously cut her hair to make herself bald. At the time, Spears was checked into a rehab center. In the photo, she attacked a photographer’s car with her umbrella. Fortunately, the car managed to step on the gas. As for Spears, this became one of the darkest moments of her life.
Mike Tyson
Aside from being a legendary boxer, Mike Tyson is known for his fiery temper. So, it is still mind-boggling why paparazzi follow him. He has been arrested on multiple occasions for beating up paparazzi. In 2013, he beat up a paparazzo at an airport. Sometimes, he’ll just look at the paparazzi with a death stare, indicating his intentions to beat them up if they step too far. Fortunately, Tyson has mostly focused on his death stares, as beating them up too early on has proven not worth the trouble.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin is among the actors who have expressed disdain for paparazzi. Already known for his fiery temper, it is inevitable that Baldwin would have confrontations with the paparazzi. In June 2012, Baldwin attacked a photographer by strangling his arm and telling him to leave. Baldwin also stated that, during the time, he was often stalked by photographers in cars who step on the gas once they’ve been found.
Shia LeBeouf
Shia LaBeouf is quite notorious for his public outbursts. In a lot of these cases, they became a massive detriment to his acting career. One of his most recent was in 2020 when he blocked a photographer’s car in the neighborhood that he lived. Another was when he ran over a paparazzo and threw hot coffee at him. It led to the police being called in to resolve the situation.