> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Caught in a flash - URL: https://www.smdp.com/caught-in-a-flash/ - Published: 2006-10-20T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T21:42:35.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Business, Main St, #archive-import *Celebs are under constant paparazzi watch when in SM* MAIN STREET — After paying his tab and shaking hands with the bartender, “Brokeback Mountain” star Jake Gyllenhaal said good-bye to Hollywood “it girl” Jessica Biel and darted out the front door of Rick’s Tavern, only to be greeted by a less-friendly throng of paparazzi, who lit up the night sky with flash bulbs and calls of “Jake! Over here!” While many tourists dream of being witness to such a display, sites such as that Main Street are common in Santa Monica, a playground for the rich and famous since the early 1920s, when celebrities like silent film star Marion Davies and media mogul William Randolph Hearst would host lavish dinner With chic shopping districts such as Montana Avenue, and a host of popular restaurants, seaside hotels and spas, celebrities flock to Santa Monica, and in turn, so do the paparazzi, “or stalkerazzi” as George Clooney calls them. Turn to any tabloid at a local supermarket and one is almost guaranteed to find at least one picture of a pop culture icon going about their business within the city limits — be it “Spider-man” Tobey Maguire and his pregnant fiancée Jennifer Meyer leaving a local doctor’s office last month, or Heather Locklear walking into the Buffalo Club for rumored lover David Spade’s birthday party. You name the celeb, and chances are they’ve been spotted — and photographed — in Santa Monica. “Santa Monica is definitely a place where celebs like to flock. There’s no doubt about it,” said Frank Griffin, a photographer for the last 35 years and co-creator of one of the largest firms in the star-snapping business, Bauer- Griffin.Com. “Britney Spears likes to hang out at the Fairmont (Miramar Hotel),” Griffin said. “She had her baby at St. John’s Hospital. A lot hang out at Casa Del Mar or Shutters — that’s where Russell Crowe was caught... with Meg Ryan, dancing cheek-to-cheek on the Third Street Promenade before going to The Discovery Store and then sipping on some coffee at Starbucks. “Santa Monica, and particularly Montana Avenue, is one of the few places where celebrities actually get out and walk on the street.” As the competition grows, the tactics used by paparazzi have become increasingly intense, intrusive, and oftentimes, dangerous. Stories about crazed photogs chasing after celebrities on crowded commercial streets have made headlines and forced lawmakers to pass new laws. However, that has done little to stop a passionate photographer looking for that one shot that could bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Santa Monica, police try to be vigilant, but there is little an officer can do unless a photographer breaks the law. “We get calls from major celebrities regarding the paparazzi and our role is to make sure that laws aren’t violated,” said former SMPD Police Chief James T. Butts. “But someone has the right to be where they are unless they are doing dangerous things, like a vehicle blocking another vehicle, personally blocking someone’s path. Unless they are doing something illegal, and if they are in a public place, there is very little police intervention.” Butts said the biggest transgression committed by aggressive paparazzi is when they impede a star’s path, using their SUVs to create barriers, preventing celebs from escaping so they can take a picture. “We arrested one who cut off the wife and children of a very major celebrity on the north end of town,” Butts said. It seems everyone has a story. Bob Trimborn, acting director of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, where celebrities like Harrison Ford, Ed Norton and Angelina Jolie park their planes, said several years ago a group of crazed paparazzi drove onto the runway and chased a celebrity during take-off. “They spent some nights in the gray bar motel for that stunt,” Trimborn said. “We’ve had another photographer who broke into a fixed-based operator to get pictures... We’ve beefed-up security so that won’t happen again.” Over at Chase, a hair salon on Wilshire Boulevard near Second Street, co-owner and stylist to the stars Lyola Torres said paparazzi are constantly seen in the area and occasionally stop by to offer their business cards hoping to get tipped off when a celebrity comes in for a trim. “We would never call them. We don’t want to scare our clients away,” Torres said. “Just recently, we had a celebrity here — I don’t want to say who he is — who came in for a haircut, and we had some guys taking pictures through the window. He asked us if we could tell them to leave. We did, but they were kind of rude about it and refused. So we moved the client to the other side of the salon. “It’s annoying with all the flashes going off,”Torres said.“Most of the big celebrities don’t come into the salon.We do house calls or hotel calls depending and who and where they are.” Many businesses follow a certain protocol when celebs visit, letting them slip in and out through a back door or pulling down the shades to block the prying eyes of paparazzi. At Houston’s Restaurant, a popular spot where Spears’ hubby Kevin Federline held his bachelor party and Brad Pitt often stops for burgers, General Manager Chris Collins makes it a priority to ensure that all guests are allowed to relax while they dine, and that includes keeping the paparazzi out. “We have a very controlled environment,” Collins said. “We have a valet that is right by the side door so celebrities can slip in easily without being seen. We also have an upstairs area that is very private, where they can eat without having to worry about being bothered. We have had some paparazzi try to snap some pictures through the blinds, but we just close them.” At Michael’s in downtown, celebrities are allowed to enter through the back while paparazzi often hide in bushes. The intensity to which paparazzi perform is legendary. At red carpet events, they have been known to scream and be so demanding that stars will run with fear. On the street, it’s no different. Stars have been seen running from packs of paparazzi only to find themselves boxed in when they reach their Porsches. That can be detrimental to businesses. “As soon as the celebrities see (the paparazzi) they jump in their cars and leave. I’m sick of it,” said Kandi King, the manager of Ames, a popular female clothing boutique on Montana Avenue, where celebrities like Priscilla Presley and Reese Witherspoon shop for one-of-a-kind fashions. Witherspoon sued an aggressive photographer in September 2005 for assault after he allegedly pushed a child out of the way while hitting another with his camera in efforts to snag a picture of the actress with her daughter Ava. “Paparazzi have really chased stars out of the area,” King said of the popular shopping district. “We all know (stars) have a lot of money to spend and we’d like them to spend it with us, but as soon as the paparazzi show up, they head out. We need to get it under control.” King said she keeps the number to the SMPD close at hand to chase the photogs away. One such photographer is Frank Rhomer, creator of X17.com, a major photography agency that supplies tabloids. Rhomer said he abides by all laws when out in the field and has developed a good working relationship with the SMPD. “Santa Monica has been very fair,” he said. “I haven’t had any problems with them. On the contrary, Malibu is very terrible. They love to harass the photogs.” Rhomer said while retailers like Ames may complain about paparazzi, the majority love the attention and free publicity that comes with their store being mentioned in a magazine like US Weekly, Star or Globe. One store, Kitson on North Robertson Boulevard, sued US Weekly for running shots of celebs and intentionally cutting out the store’s logo. “The folks at Kitson calls us every time a celebrity comes into the store,” Rhomer said. “The shops have used the paparazzi like the celebrities have. Many (stars) want to be photographed. Many TV stars need to be photographed to keep themselves in the public eye.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/102006-01_01.jpg) to the Daily Press IN A SNAP: Singer-actress Lindsay Lohan was swarmed by the paparazzi in Hollywood this summer. (Photo: Crystal Chen/Special) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/102006-01_02.jpg) WAITING GAME: Paparazzi wait armed with cameras for celebs. (Photo: Photo courtesy) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 20, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102006.pdf?ref=smdp.com)