Jennifer Aniston sues paparazzo, warns media over topless photos

Aniston's legal team says publications could face invasion-of-privacy lawsuits if they use the shots, according to a letter obtained by the Smoking Gun Web site reports Reuters.

"If you are approached and offered the right to acquire and publish (any) of the photographs," reads the letter from Aniston attorney John Lavely, "please inform the undersigned of the name and contact information of any person or persons who are offering to sell or license any of the photographs."

Lavely warns that "publication of the photographs would not only expose you to substantial damages … but you … will also be held liable for the embarrassment and emotional distress caused to Ms. Aniston by such publication."

The letter also revealed that, Aniston is suing the paparazzo, 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 that photographer Peter Brandt must have observed the 36-year-old actress "from a great distance through invasive, intrusive and unlawful measures."

Brandt said he took the pictures three weeks ago while standing on a public street in Los Angeles about 300 yards from her house. He said he was trying to photograph Aniston with Vince Vaughn, who was at the house at the time. Aniston and the 35-year-old actor are reported to be dating.
"She has no fences around her backyard," he said. "I did not trespass."

"When I saw her come out topless, I go, 'Oh, God, this is not what I want, this is not what people want to buy anyway,'" he said.

Brandt says he sent out all the pictures he took to a handful of publications, never intending to sell the ones that have caused the scandal.

"I didn't figure anyone was going to buy topless pictures because that's tough to sell," he said.

"I only sent it to five or six different editors … ok, maybe I shouldn't have sent the topless pictures but, you know, I have them and when you sit on something that big, I'm not going to make editorial judgment. I'm a photographer, editorial judgment is done by the magazine."

Brandt, 53, describes himself as an editorial photographer with 25 years of professional experience. He says he could have easily sold the topless photos to an adult magazine but didn't do so.

"They probably would've jumped on it in five seconds," he said. "I'm a photojournalist, I'm not a 'skin flick' person. But she happened to show up in my lens. What am I supposed to do?"

In 2002, Aniston settled a lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court against a men's magazine publisher that ran photos of her sunbathing topless in her backyard.