LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Perhaps Brangelina chose southern France for its blue skies, vineyards and the availability of an estate with a moat. But there’s another reason the world’s most famous expecting couple was smart to come here: French law is tough on paparazzi, especially when it comes to snapping photos of children.

That could come in handy after the birth of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins — particularly if they hope to sell rights to the first baby pictures for millions.

In France, where the Jolie-Pitts are believed to be setting up house to prepare for the births of children Nos. 5 and 6, other celebrities have waged war on gossip magazines with relentless,
precedent-setting lawsuits.

Often, the tactic pays: Monaco’s royal family grossed $681,120 through lawsuits in France in 2006, the newspaper Le Figaro has reported. On top of fines, magazines are regularly ordered to slap huge “mea culpa” notices across their covers.

“This country is medieval in terms of its legislation about printing information about celebrities,” fumed Loic Sellin, editor of glossy Voici magazine. “It’s shameful. Absolutely everything can be considered an attack on someone’s private life.”

Case in point: Former presidential candidate Segolene Royal won more than $12,000 from Paris Match magazine after it ran photos of her praying in an Italian church.

The lines are blurry and debatable, but there’s general agreement on the need to shield children from the media glare. To avoid lawsuits, magazines regularly blur out the faces of celebrities’ children or simply pull the photos.

The four Jolie-Pitt children — 6-year-old Maddox, 4-year-old Pax, 3-year-old Zahara and 2-year-old Shiloh — are an exception, simply because they have been seen out in public so often.

But if any magazines were to obtain snapshots of Jolie and her as-yet-unborn twins, two French lawyers say they would counsel them to blur the babies’ faces in most cases. Jolie has said in the past that the babies are due in August but there has been no further word.

“Let’s say she went to the French Open with her children, I would say, ‘she’s out in public and knows she’ll be seen, there’s no reason to ban the photo,”’ said lawyer Daphne Juster, who
regularly defends photographers. “But if she’s strolling in the park in sunglasses, minding her own business, she could say, ‘I tried to be discreet, this is not part of my public life,’ and can sue.”

Emmanuel Pierrat, who defends both gossip magazines and celebrities, said he might urge magazines to run photos of the babies snuggling up against their mother, or turned from the camera, so their faces do not show. Of course, he says, “some would take the risk anyway.”

In which case, he said, there would be an added incentive for Jolie and Pitt to sue: The couple sold exclusive photos of Shiloh to People magazine for a reported $4 million and donated the money to charity, a practice they’re likely to duplicate, with rumors brewing of a bidding war inching toward $10 million this time around.

There is no indication that paparazzi laws played a role in the actors’ decision to settle in the Provence village of Correns, in a sprawling stone villa with a tile roof and blue shutters.

The town’s mayor says they have moved in already, and a helicopter has been spotted taking off and landing at the site, but it is unclear if the couple is actually there. Though Pitt has been glimpsed nearby in Italy and Switzerland, Jolie has remained out of sight since the Cannes Film Festival in May.

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Madonna’s Chanel handbag sold for almost half a million dollars at a charity auction at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.

The pop superstar handed over the black alligator-skin diamond bag she had taken to the amFar Cinema Against Aids benefit in the French resort, complete with most of its contents, including lip gloss “that actually touched my lips”; lip balm; a mirror and throat lozenges.

She removed her two cell phones, insisting, “I’m not going to give up my Blackberry and phone because that’s too expensive for you.”

But it still sold to a mystery buyer for a staggering $471,000 proving more valuable than even a smooch with silver screen idol George Clooney - which sold for $300,000.

Actress Sharon Stone was one of the night’s biggest givers, handing over a $100,000 personal donation and then auctioning her own vintage Porsche 911 Targa for $810,000.

The event raised more than $10 million for amfAR’s life-saving Aids research programs.

Lindsay Lohan is not a lesbian… she just really likes the way Samantha Ronson smells… and tastes… and licks her asshole.

I can’t wait to hear what White Oprah has to say about this.

Here is the happy carpet munching couple showing affection towards one another while overseas at a Cannes Film Festival party.

Also inside Lindsay vag at the end of the night, P. Diddy’s two-digit penis. Being a lesbian is so last year. This time it’s all about some three-way lovin’.

The last time we saw Czech model Eva Herzigova she was nude and pregnant. Now she’s flaunting her ass in a revealing see-through dress at the premiere of “Che” at the Cannes Film Festival.

I could be wrong, but I think Eva is what one would call an exhibitionist. Nothing wrong with that.

Monica Bellucci looked stunning as ever as she graced the Cannes Film Festival recently. Dressed in a flowy black, off-shoulder gown, Monica may have had traces of age but she still had one very pretty face. She looked so elegant at the red carpet, don’t you think so? The “Passion of the Christ” actress was in Cannes for her film ‘in Costa Rica (Une Histoire Italianne)’. Click for more photos of the beautiful Italian actress!

More bullshit from another diva actress. Despite Scarlett Johansson telling GQ Italy “I’m a lover, not a fighter” she certainly tried her best to complicate things at Cannes Film Festival this year.

The actress failed to attend the premiere of the Woody Allen flick “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” at Cannes because she thinks she’s better than everyone else and demanded a higher appearance fee.

Adding insult to injury, Johansson refused to stay at the same five star hotel and use the same makeup artist as her co-star Penelope Cruz. Had the studio complied with her wishes, it would have cost them an additional 5,000 euros per day.

An executive connected with the film said, “While Woody’s terribly fond of Scarlett, he was a little upset that she wasn’t being a team player.”

Real nice. Reminds me of all those extreme liberal douchebags that bitch about the state of America and instead of going out and giving back to the community, they sit at home and keep hitting the bong. Selfish, egotistical, and most of all — delusional.

Petra Nemcova, the beautiful beauty queen from Czech, was at the Cannes Film Festival in France, on May 16. She was at the premiere of Un Conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale). This new French movie had Mathieu Amalric, Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni. Petra wore a daring, plunging neckline that dipped down her valley. She turned up the heat in her daring gown that was so low cut in the front and back.

The Cannes Film Festival is here again and all the stars are out to look their best. As always, Eva Longoria looks great and we’d expect nothing less from from the television star.

There had been rumors of a pregnant Eva floating around the Internet, but from the looks of these pictures there is not much truth to that — at leas from what we can see.

It took a while, but Angelina Jolie has finally opened up about her pregnancy. During an interview with the “Today” show, Angie first confirmed that she is having twins, then later revealed her due date – which is August 19. She then continued:

“I’m very happy. Unlike most women, I love being pregnant. [It makes] you feel like more like a woman than you’ve ever felt. You just feel like everything about your body is there for your baby.”

In addition, Angelina said that she could “possibly” give birth two the girls in France, where she and Brad Pitt are currently semi-vacationing and promoting her latest films at the Cannes Film Festival.

Angelina Jolie Photos from Cannes Film Festival:

I’m so glad the Cannes Film Festival is going on! It always gets our favorite celebrities out and dressed to impress. It seems every year the ladies just love Cannes. They get all glammed out, look great, and make the guys just stare. With that said, Bar Refaeli just happened to show up in tis very elegant dress.

I know it isn’t the usual Bar Refaeli we are used to seeing – the one that usually is busting at the seams.