LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Actor George Clooney says he worries the escalating Hollywood vs. paparazzi battle could end up trampling on the rights of the free press.
Clooney, the son of a newsman, says although he doesn't condone the actions of over-zealous photographers, his fellow stars may be setting a bad precedent by taking them to court, the World Entertainment News Network reported Tuesday.
"These guys can be real jerks, these paparazzi, they're not trying to catch me doing something stupid, which I'll have to take hits for -- they're trying to create you doing something stupid," Clooney said. " ... I'll take all of those hits in lieu of trying to restrict it, because the dangers of restricting it, or getting into those dangers, (is) like burning the first book.
"I get that they do some rotten things ... It's a drag for me ... (But) as a guy who believes in the free press," he continued, "I think that some of these hits we have to take in order to not mess with freedom of speech."
