This doesn’t just affect the Twilight cast, but every celeb and all the media. As we have discussed multiple times here at CBA, the paparazzi issue is completely out of hand so how fitting is it that on the 13th Anniversary of Princess Diana’s death something is being done to stop paparazzi from driving dangerously just to get a picture and to stop them from endangering people’s lives on a daily basis…..

The California Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that will impose harsh penalties on paparazzi who drive recklessly to get pictures of celebrities. Under 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. Tuesday is the 13th anniversary of the 1997 death of Princess Diana, which was widely attributed to a high speed chase between a car ferrying the princess and photographers.

The bill originated in and passed the Assembly in June, then was modified by the Senate. It passed Tuesday’s Assembly reconfirmation vote 43-13. It now heads to Gov. Schwarzenegger for a signature. Boosters of the bill speculated that the governor would sign the act into law, noting that he and his wife were themselves driven off the road by paparazzi in 1997.

“We feel this new law will improve public safety in general and hopefully prevent anyone else from getting hurt,” Sean Burke, founder and CEO of the Paparazzi Reform Initiative, said in a statement. Tuesday’s vote occurs on the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.

I for one am relieved that this bill was passed and hope that more laws are put in place to stop the paparazzi from harassing celebrities and putting them and innocent bystanders in danger. This hits close to home for our fandom because Rob and Kristen ran into this issue just the other day with paparazzi swerving in and out of traffic trying to follow them home. Luckily, Rob and Kristen were helped by the police but with this law hopefully things of this nature won’t happen as much.

What do you think? Will this stop the papz? Is the law going to make a difference? Let us know in the comment section.

UPDATE: Gossip Cop is also covering the story and giving examples of celebs who have been hounded in the past including Rob and Kristen.

Source

Related posts:

1. California Governor Signs Anti-Paparazzi Law
2. Ask Bill: Here is Where to Leave Your Message or Question for Bill Condon
3. Rob’s In Hiding From Paparazzi
4. Help Send a Message from the Fans to the Paparazzi
5. Robert Pattinson’s Paparazzi Encounter

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!

I am so happy that this law was passed! I hope there will more laws about stalking celebrities passed. Remember when the papz were following Robert. This is stalking! There should also be laws that the papz should not be able to stick cameras in celebrities faces. There should be a distance that they should be required to stay away from them. I recently saw a video of papz following Kate Moss who was pushing her baby in a stroller and the papz were following her in the airport. They were getting too close and endangered her child. At least the police helped her to get away from them. But watching this really upset me. Maybe the law should include not allowing the papz to take pictures of the celebrities’ children. I have to sign a form at my daughter’s school so that they can take her picture during school actitivites.

this is a great news…so as to protect our idols…

LOVE IT!!! It’s about time someone did something…especially in California! I say good for them and now hopefully this legislation will spread throughout the country and the world fo that matter. Just b/c celebrities, by the very nature of their jobs are in the public eye doesn’t mean that they should have their privacy invaded. They are first and foremost, people too. That’s what everyone, esp the papz need to remember! Good for you Rachelle for posting this! This is very great news, and perfect for Princess’s Di’s memory.

I agree that the papz should have to keep a distance just like the papz in Vancouver do….the ones from Vancouver not the ones from the US that follow the cast over there. With the devices today there is no reason that they cant use a long lens camera and get their pics without shoving a camera down their throats. Hopefully this will be the first step of many and that is the one good thing about the Governor of CA being a celebrity. He knows what it is like and isnt one of those people trying to make excuses for the stalkerazzi who tell celebs it is part of their jobs. Stalking is stalking no matter what and I think they are already trying to get a bill ready that says just like a person following another person around all the time is stalking, it would be the same for the papz who hound celebs and follow them for hours upon hours. This law is just the first step toward that hopefully.

Great news! I hope more states and countries choose to adopt these rules. It was great honor that they chose the 13th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death to make this stand against these aggressive paparazzi who jeopardize celebrities’ right to privacy and public safety. Time will only tell how effective these rules will be on the paparazzi, but it is on the books now and it can be tweaked further if necessary.

Amen Dazzledeyes! I agree that the papz are very aggressive and they do jeopardize the public safety of not only the celebrities they are chasing,but other drivers on the road. I am overjoyed that they have done this and even happier that they have done it in honor of Princess Diana.

I don’t think anyone would agree that it should be legal for anyone to cause harm to another person, so I agree in that respect. I’ve commented on the paparazzi topic before and my views.

In response to the long lens camera option, I see what you are saying, Rachelle, but isn’t the complaint the celebs have is the pictures being taken at all? Maybe not all actors, but I know certain ones are just pissed because they having their picture taken when they should “just be able to be normal”, so they may not agree with the long shot lens. I would agree with using a lens from a distance as it is my view that these shots in public are part of the job of a “movie star” and would ensure safety, but where is the line to make everyone happy?

Jess, for the record, I agree with you. I think it’s the whole idea of the actual picture taking that pisses ppl off! It’s just intrusive, and invasion. I mean, most of the time, these celebs are just trying to live out their normal, everyday and pump their gas or whatever. Sorry, I know some ppl think, that a celeb is a celeb all the time, but I don’t. Red carpet events, t.v. shows….are one thing, getting photgraphed looking bad walking into the Piggly Wiggly is something else entirely. LOL! I hope that these papz are stopped w/ this bill.

I meant intrusive and invasive! Invasion?! Really Stacie….I mean what, are aliens coming down from outer space?! Sorry girls, it’s been a loooooong week.

The complaint is that the papz stalk and hound the celebs not for a few pics but to the point of driving the celeb crazy. The Twilight cast have commented several times about the Vancouver papz and how they keep at a distance so they let the cast go about their business without being violated. Just like with any industry, it is about not crossing a line. It isnt about the papz taking a pic at all. It is about them breaking laws to do so. Sneaking onto a set or on private property, taking pictures of a celebs home or child, things like that are ridiculous and endangering lives just for a picture is never going to be okay. There have to be rules in place that let the papz get their pics while the celebs are in public areas but not when the celebs are trying to have some privacy. It goes back to the on the job, off the job thing. There is a time and a place for everything even for celebs. The papz should take pics at public appearances, premieres, things of that nature but following a celeb home, taking pics of their kids, following them wherever they go and so forth is where the line should be drawn. Right now we are at an extreme. Papz do several illegal things to get pictures and do it in the name of “freedom of the press” but they are violating people’s personal space and rights. I dont think it should be the other extreme of no pics at all. I think the celebs should be treated as actual human beings and only have their pics taken when the occasion calls for it.

think the celebs should be treated as actual human beings and only have their pics taken when the occasion calls for it…..I agree with this Rachelle! Which is what I was just trying to say earlier. There is a time and place for everything, and when celebs are out shopping w/ their kids….that’s not the time! These papz are not only dangerous, but obnoxious as well. They are out of control, and need to be stopped before someone gets seriously hurt. I don’t want to see that happen to anyone.

Sneaking on set and all of that…that’s just ridiculous and it does cross a line. I mean, it’s not these studios don’t put out pics of the cast and crew during fliming and what not! Why can’t these little greedy pappz just back off?! Oh yeah, I know…b/c these gossip rags just have to one up one another! It’s shameful and disgraceful and it makes me sick to me stomach.

What I meant by the actual picture taking….is what you ahve pointed out Rachelle. Some of these papz are trespassing on private property and just being down right rude and ugly to get these pics! No one, not a even a celeb wants a camera in their face 24/7, 365! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again now, they are just human too! Just people like everyone else and they all deserve respect, and their space, especially when it violates their safety and puts them in danger.

Okay, rant over.

I hope that this bill will help the safety of not only the actors, but also the bystanders nearby. I’ve noticed that a lot of people are stating about celebs wanting to be “normal”, but let’s face it, they aren’t normal. I don’t get paid even half that much when I have an acting role, I don’t get however much money in products in a swag bag for going to an event…picture taking and autographs and people approaching you comes with the fame and the entertainment business that actors have chosen to pursue. I don’t see them complaining about the perks. Just like all of our jobs, you have to take the good with the bad. They’ve chosen a career that they knew (and in part wanted) wouldn’t no longer make them “normal”. I just hope that they can be safe…that’s all we should want for everyone.

Jess, it has nothing to do with them being normal, being a human being is different from them being normal. Celebs arent normal by any means but does that mean that they dont have rights like every other person does? They do take the good with the bad. While they get all the perks you listed, they also work longer hours than most people…..ever been on a film set? It is grueling stuff. They constantly have cameras poked in their faces even when they arent filming and lets face it, their personal and private lives are null and void these days. They do pay the price, but that price will never have to include being put in danger because some punk with a camera decides to drive all over the road in order to get a picture. That isnt safe for anyone involved and like some of us here said before. It isnt about taking one picture or being in the spotlight. It is about being stalked for hours on end and knowing that no matter what they are willing to give the papz, they will always want more. Rob could stop what he is doing and pose for them for minutes when he doesnt have to and they will still get in their cars to follow him wherever he goes. They will still try to sneak onto his property to get intimate moments.

It should also be pointed out that we are talking about the extremes. Not every celeb has to worry about the papz following them everywhere. A lot of stars arent hounded very often but the amount of exposure that Rob gets is above and beyond any of that. Like Peter Facinelli said, most celebs can walk down the street, take a few pics with fans and do autographs with no problem at all, but Rob cant do that because if the fans dont cause a mob scene then the papz will. This is a case of not crossing that line to the point where the situation becomes dangerous. Not every picture taken is needed and like Stacie said, there are tons of pics out there for the fans and ppl to look at. The papz are more for trying to dig up dirt, capture ppl in their weak moments, and annoy them to the point of making them angry so they can capture it on camera. Once it becomes a danger to the celeb and the people around, someone has to be a big enough person to say hey this isnt right and something needs to be done before things become tragic again. Look at how long it took for that to happen. Princess Di is gone and yet it took all these years to see a law enforced. It should also be pointed out that the governor himself was ran off the road with his wife by the papz when he was still an action star all because the papz wanted to follow them…..I think he is all for the bill.

Rachelle, It is a point of them wanting to be considered normal. Also, I was agreeing with the bill in that there needs to be better safety, but this is not something new (one example being Princess Diana) and so it wasn’t a total surprise for any young celebrity when they chose to go into films. However, no one should feel their life is in harm’s way. There are stars that can walk outside, and one day Rob and the Twilight cast may be part of that group. They are in high demand right now with the series still being filmed and other projects, but that may change or with the fans growing with them it may die down.

Just wanted to say that I am back in!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooooo worried over the last few days b/c we had no access to CBA. Guess it’s fixed and everything is back to normal…I hope. Thanks to everyone who worked on the problem! You guys ROCK!

Jess, of course you are entitled to your opinion and as usual, we will have to agree to disagree on some of your points.

Stacie, glad you are back on and that everyone is able to get back into CBA.