I have a confession. I recognized her boney ankles and nude ballet flats a mile away. Granted, if her feet didn’t give it away, the shoulder adorned with latitude and longitude tatts would have. Either way. Spotted: Angelina Jolie and kiddos at the Studio City Farmer’s Market.
After ten years in L.A., I have fine-tuned my star spotting skills. No longer can you catch the car worth more than your home or the purse worth more than your car and guarantee a good sighting. Like living in a foreign country will sharpen your language skills, living in the City of Angels will improve your eye for an A-lister. It’s what to do next that is up for debate.
99% of the time, I do nothing. The other 1%, I can’t contain myself. And even if I could, sometimes the behavior of the celeb is such that they forfeit their right to privacy- or do they?
My 3.5 year old was waiting somewhat patiently for her turn on the jumper as Angelina and one of the twins approached. Though they didn’t cut her, they did cut in front of another child. Not exactly the way to go unnoticed. In that moment, my weakness took over, and I pulled out my cell to snap a photo. “Really?” barked her nanny, “That’s so rude. She is with her family”. There was truth to her remark, but if I delayed for second thought, I’d miss her. As Diego would say, “Click”!
I saw four of her children (three of which were exquisite), at least two nannies, and one (visible) security guard. Angelina, dressed in a black pencil skirt and silky top, looked better suited for a ladies luncheon than a Sunday market swarming with Starbucks, smudged mascara and sweat suits. Their footprint was as undeniable as their beauty.
I’ve had one similar experience. On a park jog, I spotted a swarm of paparazzi shooting Tom Cruise and his mother watching Connor play baseball. At the time, Katie was pregger with Suri, and their marriage was under major crossfire. It was Mother’s Day, and a wonderful opportunity for Tom to show his face as a family man. But, like most of the Cruise happenings, this was staged. The paparazzi told me that TomKat’s publicist had tipped him off regarding the appearance. So, he was asking for it. Aaand, “Click”.
When big stars try to keep a low profile, most (non-tourists) play it cool. But at times when they are clearly seeking attention, I question if they are forfeiting some of their right to privacy. The question then becomes where to draw the line.
As I drove home with my organic Persian cucumbers, I realized something. Angelina Jolie and I live in two totally different worlds, but (I suspect) our fears are the same. We want to provide for our family and keep our children safe, while maintaining peace and happiness.
All the money in the world aside, I bet it is no simpler for her than it is for me.
