Halle Berry claims the paparazzi have caused her daughter ”emotional distress”.
The ‘Cloud Atlas’ star, who has a five-year-old daughter, Nahla, with her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, and is expecting her first child with her French actor fiancé Olivier Martinez, admits her daughter has suffered ”so much trauma” because of her celebrity status and hopes new legislation that was signed in California on Tuesday (09.24.13) will protect her children.
The new bill will see paparazzi face tougher penalties if they take photos of the children of celebrities without parental consent and in a harassing manner, according to USA Today.
The 47-year-old star said in a statement: ”On behalf of my children, it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end for those overly aggressive paparazzi whose outrageous conduct has caused so much trauma and emotional distress.”
The Oscar-winning actress joined forces with actress Jennifer Garner, who has three children with her husband Ben Affleck, and Adele earlier this year to urge lawmakers in Sacramento to support the new legislation.
She previously testified: ”My daughter doesn’t want to go to school because she knows ‘the men’ are watching for her.
”They jump out of the bushes and from behind cars and who knows where else, besieging these children just to get a photo.”
Halle plans to work closely with other celebrities to ensure police in Los Angeles vigorously enforce the new provisions.