Fotog Quits Over Treatment Of Britney

A photographer who quit a celebrity agency over the treatment by paparazzi of Britney Spears during her ongoing struggles with personal troubles says he's afraid the pursuit of the pop star would lead to her death.

"Personally," Nick Stern told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez on The Early Show Monday, "I could foresee the death of Britney Spears either directly or indirectly."

Stern, who resigned from the agency Splash, says he was particularly upset by a scene that unfolded at a drug store the paparazzi had followed Spears to."

---

Photos: Standoff At Britney's

---

" (Some paparazzi) were walking backwards in order to photograph her," he says. "There was a homeless woman who was watching the spectacle who got knocked to the ground. Nobody paid any attention to her. She was just left there.

"Some of the driving techniques are pretty scary, as well and, in my opinion, represent a danger to Britney Spears and other members of the public."

Stern says he's received "an amazing amount of support" from fellow photographers and others "either by text message, phone calls or e-mails," but he wasn't trying to set an example and he's not urging anyone to leave the Britney beat, as he did.

"We're not saying here, 'Stop all press photography,' he noted. "Most journalism and most news reporting is justified and legitimate. All I'm saying it's a personal (stand) that I took concerning the pursuit of Britney Spears, that's all. It's just a personal decision I made.

"I resigned from Splash, and they respected my opinion. They're a highly professional organization with a great reputation. That's a personal message that I made."

Still, Stern told CBS News, "this is a multi-million dollar industry, and I am afraid of retaliations."

He asked to appear on The Early Show in silhouette only to, he says, avoid jeopardizing his safety during continuing undercover assignments. They include work on a documentary for Britain's Sky News about Britney's relationship with the media in general and paparazzi in particular -- and the money chain from the mobs around her to newsstands.

"The media surrounding her is now the story," Stern asserts.

Stern says he's had trouble finding work in the United States since he quit Splash.

[korinsha]

Grizzster: Is it lonely up there on that high, high pedestal all by yourself...? Looking down on the rest of the world... *snerk*

[korinsha]

Fotog? I thought it was "photog" as in... short for "photographer".

[grizzster]

Am I saying that I NEVER read the articles or buy the magazines or log on to the web stories that these chum sell the pictures to?

That''s exactly what I''m saying, dear.

Unlike so many of the poor pathetic wretches addicted to the celebrity culture, and who live vicariously through the troubles of spoiled, rich, degenerate, arrogant deviates, I happen to have a LIFE.

I am not supporting them or anything about Hollywird...I don''t go to movies anymore and I wrote off pop music many years ago, so my holier-than-thou attitude, as I watch American culture and society go down the poop shoot, is not just a little out of place, it''s more like a whiz in the wind.

Britney Shmitney is digging her own grave the way a fat man digs his with a knife and a fork or a crackhead digs hers with a pipe. I am well aware of what mental illness can do, but since she refuses to help herself, I don''t care if she lives or dies. If it''s the latter, the paparazzi will just find another target, and life will go on.

[kevzgrl]

I do think the last three posts are kinda funny - are you saying that YOU never read the articles or buy the magazines or log on to the web stories that these chum sell the pictures to? If you do, you are supporting them too, so the holier-than-thou attitude is just a little out of place.
This is probably the one who got his foot ran over by Britney, and he quit his job because he sees much more money in suing her and/or writing his "memoirs" about the "horrifying and traumatic" night it happened. I don''t believe for one minute that he did it because of any finer feeling than the hope that his bank account will be much larger shortly.....

[grizzster]

It''''s about time one of these bloodsuckers felt guilty. They helped kill a REAL princess in Paris. If the "Pop Princess" goes bye-bye it''''ll be her OWN doing. Live like a celeb, die like a celeb.

And this clown is whining because he can''''t find work? Gee, maybe he''''ll have to shoot high school sports and parades at some weekly rag in the Valley, for short money, like the rest of the working joes. Welcome to the real world, pal.

And he thinks someone is going to KILL him because he walked away from doing all that dirty work? What''''s he smoking? Does he think he''''s hanging with the Sopranos, or what?

They all stink the same stink. The celebs and the paparazzi feed off each other like the little fish that feed off the sharks. There''''s nothing wrong with Hollyweird and SoCal that an 8.0 shake ''n'' bake couldn''''t fix.

[grizzster]

It''s about time one of these bloodsuckers felt guilty. They helped kill a REAL princess in Paris. If the "Pop Princess" goes bye-bye it''ll be her OWN doing. Live like a celeb, die like a celeb.

And this clown is whining because he can''t find work? Gee, maybe he''ll have to shoot high school sports and parades at some weekly rag in the Valley, for short money, like the rest of the working joes. Welcome to the real world, pal.

And he thinks someone is going to KILL him because he walked away from doing all that dirty work? What''s he smoking? Does he think he''s hanging with the Sopranos, or what?

They all stink the same stink. The celebs and the paparazzi feed off each other like the little fish that feed off the sharks. There''s nothing wrong with Hollyweird and SoCal that an 8.0 hsker couldn''t fix.

[johnstossel]

It''s about time that one of these paparazzi ****** started feeling guilty! Watch the 2004 movie about this and you will see how they should all be treated. I hope several of them have a wreck and get killed.

[amccullg]

"FOTOG"? So much for assisting in the promotion of literacy.