Celebrities and the Right to Privacy

Celebrities, having sought fame, lose their right to privacy.
Describe a specific situation in which a celebrity should not lose the right to privacy. Discuss what you think determines whether or not celebrities should lose their right to privacy.
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The obsession with celebrity and the Hollywood lifestyle are hallmarks of twenty-first century American culture. Paparazzi constantly follow stars and regular people buy the magazines to follow their everyday moves and private relationships. Many women have plastic surgery to look more like celebrities and even mimic their manner of dress and talk. Indeed, celebrities, having sought fame, lose their right to privacy. They are fully aware of the culture's fixation with Hollywood and realize the costs of seeking fame. Even the Constitution makes it more difficult of celebrities to seek damages for invasion of privacy. Of course, there still exists some legal limits as to how far a celebrity's privacy can be invaded.

Celebrities realize that taking part in high-featured films and attending star-studded events will increase their fame and desirability in the media. They also raise their chances to take part in more prominent roles in the future. Celebrities realize that growing their careers will necessarily involve increasing interest in their private lives. Many celebrities also go out of their way to seek fame by releasing sex tapes and making themselves readily available for paparazzi shots. Of course, these types of celebrities should have absolutely no expectation of privacy. Other famous people exhibit more dignity and respect for themselves by avoiding unneeded attention. However, many aspects of their lives are still deemed fair game, including where they go out to share dinner with their loved one and where they happen to shop for groceries.

The Constitution makes it more difficult for celebrities (as opposed to private citizens) to sue on the basis of libel and defamation. If a smut magazine wrongly links an actress to her co-star, she will not be successful in claiming damages in court. Specifically, she has the additional burden of proving malicious intent of the authors. Regular citizens, on the other hand, need not prove this burden to sue successfully. The law, however, still grants celebrities basic privacy rights. For example, paparazzi may not enter the private homes or cars of celebrities.


Indeed, Americans should realize that their deified celebrities are people who have feelings and faults. They also have children they want to protect and wish to be treated with the basic dignity that every human being deserves. Some magazines have crossed this line by taking shots of children and even chasing cars. Paparazzi are also known for climbing walls and trespassing on private property to get "money" shots of stars sunbathing in the nude. These types of privacy invasion should not be tolerated and expected by celebrities. Unfortunately, Americans feed the demand for these pictures and are more likely to support publications that show stars in revealing positions. As spying and communication technologies improve, celebrities will find their privacy being compromised in more ways.