In the news recently we’ve seen more celebrities standing up for themselves when it comes, especially to, invasions of privacy. The latest celebrity to file a lawsuit is none other than Jared Leto and the reason behind his decision to sue TMZ is a very valid one.
Reports claimed, over the last 48 hours, that Jared Leto had “slammed” Taylor Swift in a video set in an at home recording studio while talking with another person – said to be an audio engineer. The video starts off with Leto almost ‘over-praising’ her work before – towards the end – saying “f*ck her, I don’t give a f*ck about her”.
Jared Leto has since taken to twitter and apologized for what was said in the video and for offending her or any of her fans – something he didn’t have to do as the video was personal and seemed to reflect only his own opinions – not a truth he was trying to sell to the masses. Apologizing did showcase Leto’s character however which helped fans of Swift be more forgiving or at least understanding.
The truth is I think @taylorswift13 is amazing + an incredible example of what's possible. If I hurt her or her fans my sincerest apologies.
— JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) December 7, 2015
Leto states that TMZ knew the footage was stolen, or illegally obtained, and still went forward with posting the material and even buying it for $2,000 from a videographer when they were warned against doing so.
Leto released a statement about why he is moving forward with the lawsuit although he didn’t really ‘want’ to.
“Last Sunday, I was alerted that TMZ had acquired personal and private video footage of me in my home and that they were planning to leak it on their site. My team notified TMZ immediately that I fully owned the footage and that their source had absolutely no rights to sell it. They chose to post it anyway. Let’s be clear. This was stolen footage. This was an invasion of privacy. And it was both legally and morally wrong. Regardless of who we are, we should all be able to talk freely in the privacy of our own homes without the fear that our unfiltered thoughts or actions will get broadcast to the world. We have the right to privacy and security and when we don’t have protections in place to safeguard those things, we lose the freedom to speak loudly and clearly – right or wrong – about anything and everything we choose to. I have chosen to file this lawsuit not because I want to, but in hopes it will encourage more people to stop trafficking in stolen goods, to follow proper legal procedure and so that it may motivate additional consideration for the harm these acts can create, especially when the only intention is to simply further the bottom line for the companies and corporations that commit these acts.”
Leto standing up for himself is a courageous act and one that will hopefully open doors for other celebrities to feel more comfortable doing the same. There have been many stories, as of late, of celebrities being cornered into protecting their own privacy from people ranging from individuals they didn’t know, to people they trusted. Leto believes this lawsuit will open eyes to more than just his personal stolen footage, but pirated media all together.
If anyone has a voice and conviction for change, Leto has shown time and time again that it’s him.
His manager and friend, Irving Azoff, who helped Leto and 30 Seconds to Mars during a previous legal battle took to twitter to show his support as well.
Very proud of @JaredLeto for standing up for this. https://t.co/vF2Ws7uHh5
— Irving Azoff (@irvingazoff) December 9, 2015
We think Jared Leto is doing the right thing, as well as Irving for speaking out about it too. When celebrities become more vocal about issues like this that arise when it comes to their privacy in dealing with fame, hopefully people will begin to look at celebrities with less of a stigma that they always owe fans something. No celebrity should be judged harshly for things we’d forgive our neighbor for and no amount of stardom gives the public any sense of entitlement to the lives of the people they become fans of.
Keep in touch with @CelebMix for more on this story as it progresses.