Brad Pitt Once Sued ‘Playgirl’ Over Leaked Nude Photos — But Some Lucky Fans Already Had Copies
As one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Brad Pitt is no stranger to the paparazzi. But there’s one legal dispute that still raises eyebrows today. In the late ’90s, the actor took on Playgirl magazine after they published leaked nude photos of him without his consent.
Although Pitt emerged victorious, some fans were able to get their hands on the scandalous images before the authorities put a stop to it.
Brad Pitt takes ‘Playgirl’ to court over leaked nudes
It’s been over two decades since Brad Pitt found himself in legal trouble over some leaked nude photos. In 1997, the actor took Playgirl magazine to court after they published the racy pics without his permission.
The images in question had been taken two years earlier, while Pitt was vacationing with his then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow on the island of St. Barthelemy in the French West Indies.
According to the New York Times, a judge ruled in favor of Pitt and ordered the publication to cease delivery of its August issue, which featured the nude pics.
However, the judge did not go so far as to order a recall of the magazines that had already been sent to subscribers – a decision that Pitt himself had pushed for. As a result, many people had already received the magazine and were not required to return them.
The ‘Playgirl’ scandal is not the only time Pitt took issue with photographers
The 1997 incident with Playgirl was not the last time Pitt got into a battle with the media. In 2005, Pitt’s attorney, John Lavely, issued a statement to prevent people from taking photos of the actor at his private home.
According to TMZ, the paparazzi had been snapping pics of Pitt while he was on his balcony, and the actor argued that the photos were thereby illegally taken.
Fortunately for Pitt, none of the images featured nudity. But considering that the photographers had to take the pics on his property, Pitt had a legitimate reason to have them stopped.
Later that same year, the actor had issues with a photographer on the set of the movie, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The photographer in question apparently snuck on the set and hid in a building until Pitt appeared.
Shania Twain reveals that one of her biggest hits was inspired by Brad Pitt’s 1997 scandal
Although there are plenty of people who would love to see more of Pitt, Shania Twain has never been a fan. In fact, the singer once revealed that the actor’s leaked nude photos were the inspiration behind her popular song, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
According to Page Six, Twain got the idea for the single while talking to one of her friends over the Christmas holiday in 1997. Pitt’s nude photos were making headlines at the time, and the country star could not understand why the story was getting so much attention around the world.
“I was writing this album, and there was a scandal of [Pitt] and Gwyneth [Paltrow] where there was naked photos of him [in the magazine]. And this was like all the rage,” Twain explained. “I just thought, ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about.’ I’m like, well, that don’t impress me much, I mean what is all the fuss.’”
Twain went on to say that it wasn’t necessarily anything about Pitt’s body that disappointed her. Instead, she just thought that seeing someone naked was a pretty ordinary occurrence and shouldn’t have been that big of a deal.
