Following a Life-Threatening Incident With His Family, Arnold Schwarzenegger Took Formidable Action Against the Paparazzi in 2009.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a household name for several years now. Everything he did, from bodybuilding to acting to his role as the governor of California, he did it efficiently. Name, fame, and status come with troubles, sometimes far-reaching troubles. One of the most eminent inconveniences is: being chased by the paparazzi.

The muscle man once experienced a horrible, life-threatening incident involving the paparazzi. Following this, Arnold signed an anti-paparazzi law as former governor of California in 2009. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger experiences a scary paparazzi incident

Arnold Schwarzenegger never failed to hit the headlines. No matter what he does, fans and followers always like to keep their eyes on him. That is where the paparazzi come. To provide unseen images and earn money in return, they sometimes invade the personal space of celebrities. 

In 1997, Arnold and his family had a near-death encounter with the paparazzi. It happened only a week after his open-heart surgery. The couple was driving their son to his preschool. Suddenly, they realized they were being chased by two cars. The paparazzi maintained good coordination and communicated using radios.

“They started going crazy because they were given a message that there’s $100,000 out there for getting the first shots after my surgery,” said the Terminator. 

They put Arnold’s and his family’s life in danger to receive a $100,000 reward. Maria, his then-wife, was carrying their fourth child back then. It was the fifth month, and she had faced a few complications by then. Arnold continued, “They locked the car and did all kinds of crazy, they hit the car they just went over.”

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Anybody in such a situation would be frightened; Arnold was too. Following that, Arnold took the case to the Santa Monica courthouse, and the paparazzi got punishment for their misdemeanor.

Six years after he became the governor, the bodybuilder decided to sign a new bill that would help celebrities enjoy their personal space. According to the law, taking photos that pervade the privacy of any celebrity will compel that particular photographer to pay a fine for it. Media outlets joining hands with them are also liable for the same. 

The other side of the story

Up till now, the world has heard Arnold’s side of the story, but what about the other side of the story? Well, the two photographers named Andrew O’Brien and Giles Harrison were accused of trespassing Arnold and his family’s privacy. They also convicted the latter for incautious driving. 

“I know I didn’t do it regardless of the judge’s opinion,” said Harrison before leaving the courthouse. O’Brien, too, put forward his steps in the same vein but added, “I apologize for what they went through, if they were upset.”

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The court sentenced the photographers to two years in jail, but Harrison had to undergo another three months of punishment for his driving.