Aniston sues over photos
Friends star Jennifer Aniston is suing a photographer, claiming he invaded her privacy by using a telephoto lens to photograph her inside her home when she was topless or partly undressed.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges Peter Brandt must have observed Aniston “from a great distance through invasive, intrusive and unlawful measures”.
The photos “could have been taken only by means of trespass” and were shot in a place where she had reasonable expectations of privacy, the 36-year-old actress claims.
Aniston, who also has starred in movies including Bruce Almighty, Derailed and Along Came Polly, is seeking monetary damages and a court order to stop Brandt and anyone else from making money from the photos.
Brandt could not be reached for comment. His celebrity photos have appeared in People magazine and the New York Post.
Aniston previously sued a different photographer for allegedly scaling a neighbour’s wall and photographing her sunbathing topless in her garden. The photos ran in several publications.
Francois Navarre, owner of the biggest Los Angeles paparazzi agency, X-17, paid the actress $550,000 (€467,800) two years ago to settle an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit, but admitted no wrongdoing.
Aniston’s latest lawsuit comes as the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is investigating whether increasingly aggressive celebrity photographers are initiating confrontations to capture lucrative photos.
Actresses including Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Lindsay Lohan have had alleged run-ins with paparazzi in recent months.
