Hilary Duff, who is nine months pregnant with her second child, should be enjoying things like setting up her nursery and not having to carry the groceries inside from the car. Instead, she’s being stalked by an argumentative paparazzi photographer.
Duff shared a video and an accompanying story on her Instagram over the weekend. In the clip, a paparazzo is driving a car with a passenger seated next to him, and Duff is pleading with him for her privacy. “I’m nine months pregnant and I have the flu, and I’ve asked you once to leave me alone,” she says. The photographer shrugs, then proceeds to get exasperated with her because he “lost [his] whole morning and didn’t get any pictures.” Duff counters by stating that his lack of usable photos is not her fault, and reiterates her desire to be left alone.
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In California, where Duff lives, an anti-paparazzi regulatory law went into effect following the death of Princess Diana. Photographers are not allowed to trespass onto private property (such as Duff’s sister’s home), but many criticize the law as loosely enforced, leaving Duff with no other options except an Instagram post. She should not have to beg for her privacy and a sense of personal security, but here we are.
In her caption, Duff adds more context to the encounter — the photographer had been following her all day long. According to Duff, he appeared at her son’s soccer game and her sister’s house, where he parked in her driveway. He then followed Duff as she was running errands, for “hours.” This is where Duff had enough and filmed the video to show us what she is dealing with. “When people say that’s what you get for signing up to be a celebrity it honestly makes me sick,” she wrote. “This is every day of every month and it’s simply not ok.”
She’s right — fame is not an excuse to harass or target someone, and everyone deserves their privacy regardless of their chosen profession. Duff’s family did not consent to have their space intruded upon for photos, and she is protecting their right to privacy as well as her own.