My post was an observation, not a value judgement. Professional fame is the art of privacy management. The example I gave of Clara Bow and Rex Bell shows responsible use of wealth to manage privacy.
Where is there a ‘right to privacy’ during public behavior? If I urinate in the gutter I am subject to arrest for indecent exposure. Public behavior is not private. Perhaps my act would be ignored but not so for someone famous. The purpose of fame is to focus attention on the famous. Such fame as you and I have experienced was not purposeful. We could have made it so but chose not to.
So, a value judgement - I believe fame has predictable consequences. Those who seek fame know what the price will be. When they achieve their goal they must manage to live with what they have created. Just like the rest of us they have a right to all the privacy they can afford.
"during public behavior" totally agree with that. However, are you willing to recognize that there are parts of a celebrity’s life that are NOT “public behavior”? That there is a time when public behavior stops?
It has no exception because a person is famous. In fact, it would be meaningless if it didn’t apply to a semi-famous person, at least, because nobody cares to publish pictures of me or you in our private moments, nor would others pay money for them.
Nor, is there an exception that requires a person to live in a fortress style compound in order to have privacy. Again, that exception would obliterate the rule as a person who has the means to take such steps, and have taken such steps, would not have their privacy violated in the first place.
In short, this idea that because a person has become famous, he or she loses the right to be protected by generally applicable laws against invasion of their privacy has no legal or moral support.
No argument there. However, trespassing on the private property of celebrities is more likely to result in prosecution than walking across my lawn. Perhaps their privacy is more protected.
I don’t recall Streisand suing anyone for libel. She did sue over the publication of an aerial photo of her home in Malibu, but that was an invasion of privacy issue, IIRC.
Carol Burnett did sue the National Enquirer for libel (and won).