Angelina Jolie Selling the Pictures of Her Newborn Kids to the Media Will Forever Be Iconic For One Sole Reason
In recent years, selling pictures of famous babies has become a big money-making deal. Mags and gossip papers are ready to shell out a lot of cash for the chance to be the only ones with these photos. They know people are obsessed with seeing a sneak peek into the lives of their favorite celebs — especially when it’s their adorable little ones.
It would be surprising to hear for many that even the (once) Hollywood’s power couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, made headlines by selling the first pictures of their newborn twins — Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline — back in 2008.
Jolie-Pitt Twins’ Pics were Sold for Millions to Benefit Charity
Reported by Belfast Telegraph, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sold the pictures of their twins for a staggering $14 million to US celebrity magazine People and British weekly Hello! This is more than double the previous record of $6 million (via the same source) paid for photos of Jennifer Lopez‘s twins earlier the same year.
Brangelina are not the only celebrities who have cashed in on this trend. Other stars, such as JLo (as already mentioned), Matthew McConaughey, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Alba, have also sold photos of their newborns for millions of dollars (via Finances Online).
While some people frown upon the idea of selling photos of celebrity babies, others see it as a way to bring attention to important issues and raise funds. That was exactly the case with Jolie and Pitt. Instead of pocketing the money, they put it all towards their foundation, which Angie started back in 2003 as the Maddox Jolie Program. Today, it’s known as the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP). It is dedicated to helping children in poverty-stricken areas around the world.
This is a cause that Jolie is particularly passionate about. The actress, who served as an UN Goodwill Ambassador for Refugees, always stresses why it’s important to help kids in poorer countries. This wasn’t their first time, though. The couple has a history of using their celebrity status to raise money for good causes. In the past, they sold photos of their other children to fund similar initiatives.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Sold Shiloh’s Picture for the Same Reason
Back in 2006, the two celebrated the arrival of their daughter Shiloh in a special way. As reported by CBS News, they shared the rights to the adorable pictures to Getty, saying all the money would be donated in charity to those in need.
They sold the first photos of their daughter Shiloh to People magazine for a reported $4 million. The issue sold a whopping 2.2 million copies! Then again in 2007, they sold pictures of their son Pax Thien to People and Hello! magazines for an undisclosed amount.
