In Hollywood today actors don’t just walk, they run away from scandal, and the people it may involve. But not Angelina Jolie, she is standing by her bodyguards, and protecting them, in a different way they they do her. yahoonews.com gives us this:
After three of her bodyguards were jailed following a scuffle at a Mumbai, India, school Thursday, Jolie issued a statement, calling allegations that the men used racial slurs during the fracas a “horrible rumor” and blaming the paparazzi for the encounter.
The incident occurred at the Anjuman-e-Islam school Thursday, where the actress was filming scenes from A Mighty Heart. When parents arrived at the end of the day to collect their children, paparazzi reportedly rushed through the gates as well, sending Jolie’s security team into action. Enraged parents filed a police complaint. Three guards were detained Friday and charged with assault, intimidation and intention to cause a “breach in the peace.”
If found guilty on the charges against them, they could serve up to three years in prison. In her statement, Jolie indicated that the paparazzi played a large role in the debacle. “It is not surprising that the press involved failed to mention their share of the responsibility in the chaos,” Jolie said.
“As for this horrible rumor that someone referred to a local man as a ‘bloody Indian,’ let me say this: I would never work with anyone that was derogatory towards another man’s race. My family is of mixed race.”
Brad Pitt also spoke up and apologized for any harm done to the children and their parents during the commotion that day, apparently there had been some mix up with police permits so there was less protection than the previous days.
I used to think that Angelina was a bit of a weirdo back in her Billy Bob Thornton, vials of blood hanging from her neck days but in recent years she has shown herself to be a compassionate and strong person. Now, with her defending her bodyguards, and jeopardizing her own reputation in doing so she has gain even more respect in my eyes.
I agree that this is a spin from the media. Neither Pitt nor Jolie would hire racist people to protect their family, because their family is, as said, multi racial.
Here is another excerpt from the same article where they talk about the previous history of these guards, I think it’s pretty obvious that they are still trying to make it seem that they are unstable:
In one instance, a freelance photographer working for the Associated Press said he was punched and threatened with a gun by guards protecting the film’s set in Pune, India. In another, a guard was caught on tape grasping a photographer by the throat and shoving him.
Earlier this week, when Jolie and her costar Dan Futterman filmed scenes on a crowded commuter train in Mumbai, a photographer who was in the same compartment as the actress told the BBC that her bodyguards threatened to throw him from the train if he came too close.
On the surface these reports look bad. But in a foreign land having some random freelance photographer trying to sneak onto a film set, possibly using force of his own may have warranted such action. They didn’t shoot him, and they were not arrested for anything that day.The other incidents simply shows a swift reaction to a threatening action from someone who was trying to come at Jolie very fast. Yes, sometimes you need to use threats and pushesto keep people at bay.
Why does the press want to make villains out of these bodyguards? Because it is completely in their best interest to do so. Some people may think that the press should have free reign on celebrities, that it is their right and that a lack of privacy is the price you pay for fame. If the press has full privileges their jobs will become a lot easier. But there is a difference between privacy and safety, everyone deserves to feel safe, including celebrities, that is why they hire bodyguards.
If bodyguards aren’t allowed to do their jobs then the people the protect will be in danger, look at Princess Diana or John Lennon, people have been killed before because of improper protection.
If there is any blame to be lain for the children at this school being roughly handled it should lie on the press for dangerously rushing the gate and not letting the parents collect their children before getting the photo opportunity with Jolie that they so crave.
“Neither Pitt nor Jolie would hire racist people to protect their family, because their family is, as said, multi racial.” … well that is not a guarantee of anything there are people who are Racist and people who are racist with a small r, in that they do have prejudices as is their right, but keep them to themselves, with it coming out as a Freudian slip or in the heat of the moment. There’s a difference between large R racists hate mongers and people with prejudice that they keep to themselves. It would be easy to hire someone who is not overtly racist and never know.
There are plenty of people with multi racial friends who still harbour racial prejudice, little in this world is that black and white (no pun intended) merely shades of grey.
Still I think the issue is being blown out of proportion, if he said it, it does not sound like a legal issue to me, more just letting him know it’s not appropriate no matter how frustrated he feels. In the case of rushing the school, the paparazzi where way out of line with all those young kids around.
Man, I get sick of hearing celebs bitch about the paps, but when you’re endangering innocent little kids, then the bitchfest is justified. It’s not worth all that nonsense just to get a damn picture.
Another great post, Sharon. Keep it up.