DiCaprio Sues Playgirl Over Nude Pictures ------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Steve James

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Titanic" star Leonardo DiCaprio sued Playgirl magazine Thursday over unauthorized nude photographs it plans to publish of the actor. The boyish-looking star, a heartthrob for young girls, filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking unspecified damages from the magazine and an injunction to prevent publication of the pictures. In the suit, DiCaprio, 23, said he suffered "shame, mortification, hurt feelings, emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation and injury to his privacy and peace of mind." It said publication of the pictures would be offensive and objectionable and that a "reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities would not want to disclose in a nationally published magazine ... his completely naked body, including full frontal nudity." It said Playgirl had ignored repeated requests to reveal the source of the photos and show them to the actor, who is also currently starring in "The Man in the Iron Mask." Ironically, DiCaprio's character in the Oscar-winning movie "Titanic" is an artist who sketches co-star Kate Winslett in the nude. There was no immediate comment about the suit from the New York-based magazine, which routinely publishes authorized photographs of naked men. DiCaprio's suit comes just days after the editor-in-chief of Playgirl was quoted as saying she had quit in protest at plans by the magazine's owners to print the nude pictures of the "Titanic" star. "It goes against my ethics," Ceslie Armstrong told the New York Post. "It's an invasion of privacy. I can't be associated with it." Last year, another movie star, Brad Pitt, sued Playgirl for publishing nude pictures of the actor and his then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow. A judge ordered the magazine not to publish any more copies of its August issue with the Pitt photos, but did not order a recall of issues already distributed as Pitt had requested. Armstrong took over the magazine in July after the Pitt controversy. Playgirl used photographs taken in 1995 by a photographer who trespassed on the grounds of a hotel in the West Indies to shoot in a bungalow where Pitt was staying with Paltrow.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), March 27, 1998

Answers

I just wonder if these were pictures he actually posed for and he's trying to hide now, or was it a situation like Pitt's where someone trespassed and took unauthorized pictures?

-- JoeyAngel (yu118438@yorku.ca), March 27, 1998.

I also had heard, somewhere... that it was a possibility that the photos were faked, with Leo's head and some other man's body, and that is why Leo is demanding to see them, because he does not know if the photos were taken of him in secret, or a fake. I guess he would be the one to figure that one out....Has anyone one elso heard a mention of this?

-- Beth (KLindu@aol.com), March 27, 1998.

I think the photos are stills from the movie Total Eclipse. I have seen the movie and I don't recall any full frontal nudity, so I am guessing that the Playgirl photos are from scenes that were cut. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I got this information from a tabloid (I think it was the latest issue of the Globe w/ Leonardo on the cover), and they showed censored versions of the pictures. I'm a tad obsessed with Leo, Kate, and Titanic in general (obviously, or I wouldn't be on this web site), so I have even stooped low enough to buy tabloids to get pictures. I can guarantee, however, that I won't be buying that issue of Playgirl if it ever gets released. There are some things that I would much rather leave to the imagination. (:

-- Jessica Gross (jgross@eureka.edu), March 27, 1998.

I think that even if he did pose for these photo's it should still be up to him to decide when and where or if they are ever published. Honestly, I think everyone would agree that sometimes you are willing to do certain things (i.e. nude pictures) for certain people or causes that you would never do for anyone or anything else and you'd never want those things to be seen by billions of people all over the world. if it's him in those pictures or if they've been fixed then I think he has every right to sue them. I also have to agree though....some things are just better left to the imagination!!!!

-- Miranda Swearingen (Kylen1@hotmail.com), March 27, 1998.

well I've heard a number of things all og which were stated here but no matter what happened its not copyrighted so Playgirl has no right to publish them! I say if they are p[ublished Leo should get every penny that that mag. brings in just to make a point to playgirl! only a sick person would or will buy that magazine to see him nude like Come On people! lets get real! even if he did (which I don't think) he does have thr right to see them doesn't he? isn't that a little strange? I also heard on the radio that they won't tell him where the photos were taken a little strange too?

-- Brandy (missmolly_01@hotmail.com), March 27, 1998.

I don't think Leonardo should be worrying about these pictures, he's sexy and got a good body. If I were him, I'd be putting the photo's everywhere. Don't worry Leo, your gorgeous, naked or not naked! Preferably naked!

-- Courtney (courtney@hotmail.com), October 06, 2001.

I think Leonardo isn't as sexy as the media interprets him to be. If he wasn't raking in the cash, I doubt ther would be that many women interested in him. C'est la vie!

-- Kasha (rod@hotmail.com), October 26, 2002.

I have to say that Rod@hotmail.com has a strong point. I would go for Brda Pitt over Leo any day.

-- Denise (denise_vanouten@yahoo.com), October 26, 2002.

hi i m ankit i saw titanic 15 to 20 times i love this film very much i had photos of titanic i m fan of this film still i can see this film as many times i can i m very immpressed with this film by ankit

-- ankit tanna (titanic_dreamboy@yahoo.co.in), March 02, 2003.

I HONESTLY DON'T SEE HOW PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN WITHOUT SOMEONE KNOWING IT.IF YOU ARE GETTING YOUR PICTURE TAKEN EXPECATTLY NUDE THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU CONSENTED TO IT. JES, LEO JUST ADMIT YOU ARE IMBERRASED TO SHOW WHAT YOU GOT!!!

-- CHRIS EAGLE (CHEYANGEL04@AOL.COM), July 12, 2004.

could ot be that it was published already? because there are sales on the web showing that he has 6 pages of nudity in playgirl october 1998.

-- kyle (blah@hot.com), August 09, 2004.