‘Rent-a-pap’: inside the murky relationship between paparazzi and celebrities
The clamor of voices, the snapping of shutters, the dazing glare of bulb after bulb. A celebrity is whisked into a waiting car by a no-nonsense staffer, holding back the throng so they can make their escape. But just how easy is it to cause this scene? This week, I put on my most refined accent and dialed the number of a photo agency to find out. “Hi, I’m a publicist and I have a new client looking to move from London to LA.” “What kind of client?” “She’s done a lot of reality TV and she’s a fashion influencer, mainly on TikTok. I’d prefer not to name her at this point.” “Ok. What are you looking for?” “I was — we were — hoping to create some buzz around the move, something that’ll get her into the papers.
