Boston College Law Review Volume 54 | Issue 3 Article 21 5-23-2013 Prisoners of Fame: How an Expanded Use of Intrusion Upon Psychological Seclusion Can Protect the Privacy of Former Public Figures David Libardoni Boston College Law School,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/bclr Part of the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons, First Amendment Commons, and the Torts Commons Recommended Citation David Libardoni, Prisoners of Fame: How an Expanded Use of Intrusion Upon Psychological Seclusion Can Protect the Privacy of Former Public Figures, 54 B.C.L. Rev. 1455 (2013), http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/bclr/vol54/iss3/21 This Notes is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Boston College Law Review by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. PRISONERS OF FAME: HOW AN EXPANDED USE OF INTRUSION UPON PSYCHOLOGICAL SECLUSION CAN PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF FORMER PUBLIC FIGURES David Libardoni* Abstract: Public figures who no longer receive attention in the public sphere have had enormous difficulty regaining the privacy rights they once had. When it comes to limiting the discussion of their personal af- fairs, both the First Amendment and the common law invasion of privacy torts make no distinctions between former public figures and those cur- rently involved in public affairs. This Note proposes an expanded use of the invasion of privacy tort for unreasonable intrusion upon seclusion to protect the privacy of these “prisoners of fame.” Although the tort is pri- marily understood to protect individuals from intrusions into physical spaces, this cause of action also protects intrusions into psychological spaces.