Rumor: The real reason Angelina and Brad chose France for twins birthplace

As she prepares for the birth of her twins, no pregnant celebrity is more dogged by paparazzi than Angelina Jolie. Just as the Jolie-Pitt family escaped to Namibia prior to the birth of their first biological child Shiloh for privacy, it looks like their next birth will take place in France, since they have just leased an  880-acre estate called Chateau Mirval in the Provence village of Correns, on the French Riviera. Many have speculated that this choice was made to pay homage to her latemother Marcheline Bertrand. However, this may havelittle validity as Marcheline was actually French-Canadian, not French, and it appears that another possible explanation may be France’s stricter privacy laws, as far as paparazzi is concerned.

Because it seems like Angelina and Brad Pitt will donate the sale price ofthe first baby photos to charity, as they did with Shiloh’s photos,it’s in their best interest to make sure that they control who takes these images. Not only will their estate be much more private (as asource told E! Online."No one will ever be able to get pictures of them relaxing at home,it’s just impossible"), when they’re out and about, photos of thebabies will need to be blurred to protect their privacy because French law prevents French magazines from running images of the babies. In past incidents, public figures have successfully sued magazines for invasion of privacy.

French attorneys said they would advise magazines to blur the babies’ faces or use images where they are "snuggling up against their mother, or turned from the camera, so their faces do not show." Otherwise, they could be sued because even in public, celebrities have an expectation of privacy from the media as long as they are "minding their own business." However, if they take the babies to a public event, such as the French Event, "there’s no reason to ban the photo." Brad and Angelina’s older kids, Maddox, 6 ½, Pax, 4 ½, Zahara, 3 ½, and Shiloh, 2, would not be subject to the restrictions because they have already been photographed so much and are regularly out in public.

One thing that the law doesn’t seem to prevent, though, is restricting foreign or even French photographers from selling the images abroad where laws are not as strict.

Source: Associated Press

Comments

I cannot to see the new members of the Jolie -Pitts family.

- (LOVE- J ) on June 12th, 2008

Imagine if a law was passed in the US that publications had to blur the faces of children whose parents had not given photo consent? That would be the end of this site and many others.

- Susan on June 12th, 2008

Tooo COOL. You had to know there would be logic in it. It’s fun to look forward to seeing or hearing about this family, what with everything else going on in the world.

- brookefan on June 12th, 2008

who would even WANT to leave that estate and go into town or an event? You can have it on your estate – with 880 acres!!

it must be nice!

interesting article though!

- Jennifer on June 12th, 2008

I think the last phrase as some validity. While it’s true that you can’t say the same thing here than in the US (I have absolutely no clue of what’s happening to french celebrities because there’s no french blog like the US ones) photographers can still sell pictures abroad: we still saw the brangelina bunch while they were near Cannes! It’s probable that french paparazzi aren’t as used as american ones to stalk celebrities (because of the law) and the americans don’t come here so the family is more free to go about.
So in short I do not agree with this article. Furthermore the kids faces are blurred in some magazines! It’s funny to see them blurred when on the net you can easu*ily find the clear ones!!

- Marie-L. on June 12th, 2008

Why has there been so much Brad and Angie rumor patrol here on CBB lately?

“No one will ever be able to get pictures of them relaxing at home, it’s just impossible.”
This is not a reason for them going to France we have all seen pics of them in their other house this is a reason for them moving to a more private location.
“One thing that the law doesn’t seem to prevent, though, is restricting foreign or even French photographers from selling the images abroad where laws are not as strict.”
This is why don’t believe this rumor, Brad and Angie decided to give birth in a country where it is illegal to publish private pics of a baby in French magazines (the other kids are open targets) but the pics are allowed to be sold and published in other countries. If this is the case why not give birth in Namibia again. Namibia doesn’t have a national magazine and they wound up selling the photos over seas anyway?

- HardCandy on June 12th, 2008

The law in France is great. I don’t think it would mean the end of this site, as the celebs already respect it, they would give their consent, but it would definitely end some other sites. Maybe we wouldnt see that many pictures like now, but honestly, I would rather like to see a picture of a baby their parents agreed for me to see then a picture whose taking made someone really mad and annoyed. I like the celebs and even though i like seeing them and their kids, I would like for them to have some more privacy then they do now. So I’d say yes to the law. Look what paps did to Diana, Britney, George Clooney and others

- Nikka on June 12th, 2008

The article says it limits the number of paparazzi and the French seem to have stricter laws making it LESS prevalent. That’s not to say it’s foolproof. If you were given the choice between Robertson Blvd. and a private French Villa – where would you give birth?

- brannon on June 12th, 2008

Paparrazi issue aside, that is a pretty cool chateau to prepare for the birth and a fun place for her kids to stay. Everyone wins!

- carla at somethingaboutbaby.com on June 12th, 2008

French law doesn’t prevent from taking kids pictures, the law said “Anyone has a right to have a private life”, so when paparazzi taking pictures for some gossip magazine, celebrities used the law to suit the magazine. About bluring kids face, that is more a tradition, cause kids go to school and they don’t ask to have famous parents. But for sure, paparazzi ain’t crazy like in US.

- karine on June 12th, 2008

French law regarding the press may seem nice, but it would be a complete violation of The First Amendment and set a horrible precedent if enacted in the US. Once the freedom of the press is restricted it becomes a very slippery slope. Already in France, citizens can be prosectuted for speech that offends others. A threat to any speech is a threat to all speech.

- Kate on June 12th, 2008

I cannot wait to see these pictures! Although I LOVE People magazine (especially this year…lots of celebrity baby covers), I thought the photos that Tom Cruise’s family did with Vanity Fair and Annie Leibowitz were just stunning. The spread was great, the cover was great…a real class act…would love to see Angie’s twins photographed by Annie as well.

- Jenn on June 12th, 2008

Kate, total freedom of speech isn’t always a blessing and even within the US there are some restrictions, eg, racial/religious vilification, slander and defamation. You can be jailed or sued for both of those things. In Australia we have no official freedoms of speech but have no problem saying what we want to say as long as we aren’t vilifying/slandering any one. Most French citizens don’t seem to have a problem with it. We’re all pretty much covered by International Human Rights.

- Lilybett on June 12th, 2008

Good for them~! This is one (very rare) celebrity couple who truly puts their children’s need for PRIVACY FIRST, instead of just “talking” about it or blaming the paps. for “invasion of privacy”… celebs CHOSE their crazy lifestyle, it should be up to them to PROTECT their children from it, as the children NEVER asked to be born to “famous” parents’. I wish more celebs would take this route- there are quite a few that I can think of that I certainly would like to see the backside(s) of.

- Hannah on June 15th, 2008

I’m probably the only one, but I don’t understand why so many people (and by that I mostly mean the media. I realize CBB is just posting what other media outlets have said) seem to think that Angie will give birth to the twins in France.

If I’m not mistaken, weren’t they also in France for a month or two right before Shiloh was born? I remember that people thought they were going to have Shiloh in France. However, they ended up heading for Namibia at the end of April 2006/beginning of May 2006 (I can’t remember which).

Therefore, who’s to say they won’t do the same for the twins birth (I suspect part of it may be the fact that most commercial airlines don’t allow women at Angie’s stage of pregnancy to fly. However, keep in mind that the J-Ps have a private jet.)? I must admit that I actually hope they don’t have the twins in France, as that will just fuel the false “Angie’s mother was French” rumor (even Angie herself has said she has no idea where or how that rumor got started!).

- CelebBabyLover on June 18th, 2008