Nicole Kidman Testimony Lays Bare Paparazzi Lifestyle

Nicole Kidman’s testimony this past week in an Australian defamation trial has exposed the life of the paparazzo as a financially rewarding occupation where the more unscrupulous you are the more successful you become.

The oscar winning, Australian born actress testified in court this week how she was reduced to tears after being chased through the streets of Sydney by Jamie Fawcett, a local paparazzo with a ruthless reputation for snapping whatever and whenever he is able. It is said that he will stop at very little to get his celebrity photo.

According to Frank Thorne, a British journalist working down under, a decent set of photos will bring the photographer around $50,000 Australian, or about $47,300 US. That much money can come from only a few hours work.

Thorne has also said that a killer set of photos will command $250,000 Australian, or about $219,000 US. One of the most desired photos in recent years was the first photo of Russell Crowe’s new baby. The paparazzo who finally snapped it is reported to have earned $300,000 Australian, or about $262,000 US.

The combination of those types of paydays and the easy entry into the field, means that just about anyone can become a paparazzo. It also means that the occupation will attract people of the lowest character, people who will lie, cheat, steal and more to obtain their lucrative payday.

The remaining paparazzi who still work under some moral code are embarrassed by the seedy reputation their chosen occupation is currently enduring. The accepted line of thinking is that the paparazzi chased Princess Diana to her death in Paris in 1997.

Who will be the next celebrity to fall victim to the paparazzi’s greed?

More Nicole Kidman

Is It Really Britney Spears’ Fault or Are Paparazzi Out of Control?

High profile celebrities like Britney Spears are often criticized for their wild public antics that most of us blame solely on the celebrity. Many of Britney’s highly publicized incidents quickly come to mind.

She has driven her car over people’s feet three times in the last month, for example. Or do you remember when she kissed Madonna on stage?

But, how much of this is really the celebrity’s fault and how much blame belongs on the paparazzi that stalk her? Are the paparazzi failing to give her room to even maneuver her vehicle?

Paparazzi are true parasites in our society. They prey on the celebrity, following them wherever they go, making the celebrity’s life, at times, nearly impossible. Their contribution to society is only a photo of someone who would rather not be photographed.

Look at the following video and watch how the paparazzi literally mob Britney’s car, falling over its hood. It is amazing that she has not run over more than someone’s foot when she is forced to put up with this type of behavior from this parasitic version of the media.

Watch how Britney is so blinded by the photographer’s flashes that she has to raise her hand to shield her eyes just to see where she is going.



Then two of the paparazzi chase her in their car laughing at how they are making her drive too fast to get away from them. The death of Princess Diana is the first thing that came to mind when I first saw this video.

How about this video taken outside the courthouse, and Britney has to drive through a horde of paparazzi.



How sympathetic would you be toward the paparazzi if you were the one being treated like this and you had to put up with these pushy photographers 24/7?

In Australia, Nicole Kidman has been testifying in a defamation law suit about her problems with Jamie Fawcett, a paparazzo that the Sun-Herald newspaper stated was “Sydney's most inventive and most disliked freelance photographer” who was determined to “wreak havoc on Kidman's private life.”

One of the major disputes in the case is whether Fawcett’s car literally forced Kidman’s car off the road to avoid running into Fawcett‘s vehicle. His car and another vehicle chased Kidman through the Sydney traffic to the point where Kidman said, “I was frightened and I was worried there was going to be an accident.”

“I have been pursued many times," said Kidman. “I have had this happen in relation to this particular man so many times.

"I employ people to protect me now. I employ people 24 hours to protect myself because I don't feel equipped to handle things."

When celebrities like Britney Spears and Nicole Kidman are forced into racing through the streets to avoid the paparazzi, it seems obvious that something needs to be done before another tragedy occurs.

Princess Diana was chased to her death by the paparazzi. If only Di were still alive, we could ask her opinion.