Oh Snap!: A History Of Camera-Hating Celebrities

John Daly has a smashing good time with his fans’ cameras.

Pro golfer John Daly hates having cameras shoved in his face. Perhaps it’s because he’s a fat, alcoholic, spouse-abusing, gambling junkie and he can’t stand to see photos of himself online. Thursday, during the first round of the Australian Open, a pic-snapping spectator got too close to him while he was trying to play, so the teed-off golfer ripped the camera out of his hands, smashed it against a tree and told him, “You want it back, I’ll buy you a new one.”

Daly, who was not punished because the fan wasn’t an accredited photographer and wasn’t supposed to be taking photos on the course, later complained, “My eyes are still burning from the flash of the camera.” Tell that to the camera, which died with the image of Daly’s sweaty, greasy palm as the last thing on its memory card. R.I.P. Flicker. For more celebrity assaults on cameras and the people who love them, read on…

MARLON BRANDO
• In 1973, tired of being followed by pioneering paparazzo Ron Galella, the mercurial actor punched him in the face, breaking his jaw and knocking out four of his teeth. (Fortunately, Ron G’s camera was not harmed.) From then on, Galella wore a football helmet whenever he shot Brando. Game on, bitch.

SEAN PENN
• Penn once famously spat in Galella’s face, but compared to his other assaults on photographers, that seems almost like sexual seduction. Married to Madonna from 1985-89, the temperamental actor made it a habit of beating on the paparazzi that stalked them. Various accounts have him punching, beaning with rocks and even hanging a photog by his ankles off a ninth-floor hotel room balcony for trespassing. And yet Penn somehow comes across as a nice guy today. Superb actor, supreme douche.

KENNY ROGERS
• Back in 2005, the Texas Rangers pitcher dispelled rumors of steroid abuse by senselessly raging against cameramen for filming him as he walked out on to the field to stretch. After grabbing one cam, throwing it to the ground and kicking it when it was defenseless, he threatened to smash others (incidentally, he also busted up the cameraman). Though they were initially intimidated and had to seek counseling, all the cameras have bravely returned to work.

KANYE WEST
• In October, airport police at LAX arrested Yeezy for felony vandalism when he took offense to a photographer snapping his photo, scuffled with him and smashed his camera. A TMZ video camera caught everything on tape, so the Louis Vuitton Don’s manager Don. C decided to smash that too. Sadly, these flashing lights flash no more.

NICOLE RICHIE
• During New York Fashion Week 2008, the famous socialite wigged out on a young Swedish tourist who attempted to take her photo outside a nightclub. Witnesses said Richie screamed, “I’m not an animal!” then jumped over the velvet rope, savagely snatched the camera out of the girl’s hand and broke it on the pavement. Just like an animal.

RANDY JOHNSON
• In January 2005, the New York Yankees acquired the mullet-loving hick pitcher with an aversion to space-invading media types. Surprisingly, life in the media capitol of the world didn’t agree with Johnson. While walking to a physical in Manhattan, he yelled at a TV cameraman who was filming him, told the cam to talk to his hand and tried to knocked it away. An umpire later ruled that was strike one against the Big Unit in the Big Apple.