Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry get emotional in plea to protect kids from paparazzi

Actors have come to expect that the paparazzi will make their lives difficult, with constant privacy invasions and ambush attempts at candid photos.

But when it comes to their children, celebrities Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner say that's not how these kids should have to grow up.

Both actresses testified at a hearing before the California State Assembly Committee on Public Safety on Tuesday, supporting an anti-paparazzi bill that would criminalize photographers' taking pictures of children without their permission.

 "I love my kids," said Garner, who has three children with filmmaker/actor Ben Affleck. "They're beautiful and sweet and innocent, and I don't want a gang of shouting, arguing, lawbreaking photographers who camp out everywhere we are all day, every day, to continue traumatizing my kids."

 The Motion Picture Association of America, journalists and publishers have protested that the inability to take photos of children could prevent them from gathering the news, however.

"They have a bounty on their heads every day," said Garner of her children, who said that every day there were 15 cars of photographers waiting outside of her home.

Berry, who has talked about moving to France to avoid the onslaught, echoed that experience. Berry said that her 5-year-old daughter Nahla "doesn't want to go to preschool any more.

Why? Because these 25 grown men are there.... We're moms here, just trying to protect our children."

Senate Bill 606 would change the legal definition of "harassment" to include the photography or recording of a child without a parent or legal guardian's permission.

The bill passed unanimously and is now going to the appropriations committee.

Paparazzi Nab Maddox Jolie-Pitt’s iPad Thief

You never hear a good story about the paparazzi — so today we wanted to make sure that you heard that a paparazzo covering Maddox Pitt-Jolie saw a crime take place and helped nab the suspect.

A photographer from Fame-Flynet saw a man at Hollywood Sports Park in Bellflower, California last Saturday put on black gloves and enter the Jolie-Pitt SUV and steal a cellphone and two iPads — one labeled “family.”

According a press release from the LA Sheriff’s Department, the suspect Lorenzo Castro “allegedly quickly returned to his car and attempted to drive out of the parking lot. The citizen used his vehicle to block Mr. Castro’s path, called 911 and flagged down a private security officer for help.”

All of his actions were caught on tape. Castro didn’t resist arrest and the stolen property was returned to Maddox who was playing paintball.

Although the sheriff’s department appreciates the Good Samaritan efforts, they say, “We recommend reporting a crime in progress immediately by calling 9-1-1 and being a good witness.”