Date: 20th August 2002

De Niro Suing For $1 Million Over A Photo Of Him


Robert De Niro is suing for $1 million over a photo of him and Sean Penn blowing out their birthday candles.

The picture was taken at a private party for the actors, who share the same birthday - August 17.
De Niro was celebrating his 58th birthday and Penn his 41st at a rooftop party in Manhattan.

De Niro's lawyer, Tom Harvey, said a photograph was offered for sale by photo agency Celebrity Vibe and appeared in at least one newspaper and one national magazine.
He said: "Our contention, as we hope to prove in the lawsuit, is that someone snuck into a private residence and took unauthorised pictures for profit."

Jeffrey Boyard, a co-owner of Celebrity Vibe who is named in the lawsuit, said the agency did nothing wrong.

He said: "Our photographer was invited."

Source: Press Release