Telma Ortiz's Case Against the Paparazzi Press: April 2008

[Duke of Marmalade]

Telma & Enrique decided to go to court regarding the constant harrassment of the paparazzi and their pictures being spread all over the papers. Will be interesting to see the outcome of this since a balance needs to be found between Telma the private person / Telma the sister of the future Queen of Spain (keeping in mind that she does not raise any interest in her person herself, unlike eg Henar, who is more or less left alone, I wonder why?) without touching the sensitive spanish topic "freedom of speech".
Good decision, finally somebody from the Rocasolano family (who are very private indeed) stands up for their rights as Zarzuela keeps ignoring the subject. If they succeed maybe this will lead to a positive impact on Carla, too.
Vanitatis.com - Telma y Enrique, una “pareja normal” que pide al juez callar a la prensa

 

[RhapsodyBrat]

Hmm, they have a rather long list of respondents in that complaint...but good for them. It's about time they were left alone. They don't owe the entire country every update on whatever it is that's going on in their lives because they're private people, who just happened to be related to someone famous.

It's even harder for Paloma. I remember seeing one video where she was being followed by news crews as she was walking home, asking her about a supposed romance with a co-worker. They even showed her a magazine with a photo of her and the guy. And to be treated like that, isn't that insulting? But, gracious as she is, she even answered "No" with a smile.

I hope the press then reciprocates the graciousness by finally refraining from pestering them every now and then, before a full-blown lawsuit gets in the way.

 

[princess leonor]

Telma & Enrique decided to go to court regarding the constant harrassment of the paparazzi and their pictures being spread all over the papers. Will be interesting to see the outcome of this since a balance needs to be found between Telma the private person / Telma the sister of the future Queen of Spain (keeping in mind that she does not raise any interest in her person herself, unlike eg Henar, who is more or less left alone, I wonder why?) without touching the sensitive spanish topic "freedom of speech".
Good decision, finally somebody from the Rocasolano family (who are very private indeed) stands up for their rights as Zarzuela keeps ignoring the subject. If they succeed maybe this will lead to a positive impact on Carla, too.
Vanitatis.com - Telma y Enrique, una “pareja normal” que pide al juez callar a la prensa

Good for Telma and Enrique. I really hope this will work and the press will give them the peace they probably some much long for. Even though Telma is Letizia's sister, she is still not a public figure, and it would be really good if the press would stop chasing after her, and indeed also Carla.

 

[donnaK]

Great move from Telma and Enrique (it helps when your partner is a lawyer ), even some pink press journalists (ex. Ana Rosa) admitted the other day that Telma should be left alone. I'm sure they will score at least a partial win if not a complete win. The British paparazzis are about the worst, they had never been harrassing Diana's silblings (when Diana was still alive) the way the Spanish paparazzis had been doing to Erika and Telma.

 

[planetcher]

I don't really understand their obsession with her. She's not a celebrity or a public figure, but they would go to great lengths to capture her photos. Does she really sell magazines? I don't understand why they're so interested in her just because she's the sister of the Princess of Asturias. I remember they even went all the way to Cape Verde and Indonesia to take pictures of her on duty.
And I read from another news online ( http://www.monarquiaconfidencial.com/pg_Articulo.aspx?IdObjeto=343), "Without waiting for the decision of the judge, photojournalists, who took guard in vain at the hospital where she gave birth Telma Ortiz and at the entrances of the Civil Registry of the street Pradillo, have decided to write a letter in which asks the sister of the Princess of Asturias to provide them with a photo with their daughter to avoid subjecting it to continue monitoring strange and fruitless pursuits." Unbelievable.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

"Without waiting for the decision of the judge, photojournalists, who took guard in vain at the hospital where she gave birth Telma Ortiz and at the entrances of the Civil Registry of the street Pradillo, have decided to write a letter in which asks the sister of the Princess of Asturias to provide them with a photo with their daughter to avoid subjecting it to continue monitoring strange and fruitless pursuits." Unbelievable.

Indeed. I don't get it either. There are even AAA class celebritites or sports people (eg Michael Schumacher) who decided from the beginning that there won't be any pictures of their children in the papers AT ALL, not even the usual happy family after birth picture. And, guess what, the media respects that decision. No idea what is so fascinating about the private citizen Telma Ortiz that they even ask for kind of an "offical" picture of her daughter combined with the threat of further harrassment if she doesn't agree

 

[ikram]

i think paparazzi harrassment could be very hard to live, every day , all day long ,every night especially when you'are not a "star"
Telma is not Princess, actress, famous journalist, writer or politic Woman
she is just sister of famous person
she did not anythink to be famous, to be known
she did not asking for nothing
i think she is right to ask for anonymous except when she appears in public event lin the chrtitenning of one of children princess....

 

[Paty]

( http://www.monarquiaconfidencial.com/pg_Articulo.aspx?IdObjeto=343), "Without waiting for the decision of the judge, photojournalists, who took guard in vain at the hospital where she gave birth Telma Ortiz and at the entrances of the Civil Registry of the street Pradillo, have decided to write a letter in which asks the sister of the Princess of Asturias to provide them with a photo with their daughter to avoid subjecting it to continue monitoring strange and fruitless pursuits." Unbelievable.

I can´t belive it!!!!! Soo. She has to posed with her baby......But... she don´t whant!!!!!! and it´s her right

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Revista ¡HOLA! - Sumario

HOLA claims that Telma and her family will leave Spain in the next months.

 

[RhapsodyBrat]

okay, this is really silly, but I was searching for some other info about Instituto Cervantes's Día del Libro event (which will take place on Saturday here in Manila) and I stumbled upon this old photo of Telma sitting at one of the tables at last year's Día del Libro:
Dia del Libro at Instituto Cervantes « twinkililing

The guy beside her is Señor Manolo, head of IC de Manila's library.

I tried to take a photo of her that day too (that was the second time I saw her), but this was all I could manage:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f241/RhapsodyBrat/RoyalPeople/DSC07323.jpg

 

[nouwrein]

Thank you for sharing your photo here with us RhapsodyBrat

 

[donnaK]

Indeed. I don't get it either. There are even AAA class celebritites or sports people (eg Michael Schumacher) who decided from the beginning that there won't be any pictures of their children in the papers AT ALL, not even the usual happy family after birth picture. And, guess what, the media respects that decision. No idea what is so fascinating about the private citizen Telma Ortiz that they even ask for kind of an "offical" picture of her daughter combined with the threat of further harrassment if she doesn't agree

The main reason is that Ortiz-Rocasolano were vulnerable, the tabloids felt they could do whatever they wanted. Zapatero told the tabloids to remove the pictures of his two daughters and don't ever take the pictures of his daughters again, the press obeyed. Thank god that Telma's partner is a lawyer now, let the court decide whether the so called 'freedom of press' claimed by the yellow press really steps out of boundary.

 

[fanprincipesasturi]

the letizia´s sister does not act correctly

 

[princess leonor]

the letizia´s sister does not act correctly

Why would you say that? Telma has every right in the world to claim her privacy, she's not a public figure and should be left alone!!!

 

[lula]

the letizia´s sister does not act correctly

The press does not act correctly. She the only thing that she has done is to defend herself from the attitude of a press to which nobody seems to want to put limits.

To chase, to harass, to attack, to threaten a person is not to act correctly ... to chase for 4 months a pregnancy woman by the whole Spain, to wait for her at the edge of her house, to cross the car, to end to blows for a photo ... it is own of delinquents not of serious journalists.


The freedom of expression that certain press insists on defending, is for those that give serious information about that one that has a general interest.

In few countries there happens what happens in Spain, and if it happens the people defend herself before the courts. Unfortunately in Spain, it seems that the power and the money of this press, there are above the fundamental rights of the rest of the persons. If, the Princess of Asturias and her relatives, had acted like it is operated in other countries, the press scarcely would speak about their private life or history would be invented, because already it would not have money with which they pay indemnifications.

Carolina of Monaco has denounced to the press, the Swedish Royal Family has made one denounced against several German publications, in England the pursuit came to Kate Middelton to a point in which they they all should have reached an agreement to stop harassing her...
The strange thing is not the attitude of the press, the strange thing is attitude of the Spanish press and of a few laws that do not work well.

I admire Thelma Ortiz's valor. The press is skinning her, probably neither win nor obtain what wants ... but she has given course even debates ... and she has confronted with valor a problem, which many prominent figures of this country do not confront for fear of the revenge of the press.

It has never wanted to be a public figure, and the option of life of her sister it must not force her to be. The press does not have right to impose on the persons the life that they want to have.

 

[fanprincipesasturi]

I support to telma, because the journalists are PESADOS PESADOS , but cannot censure to mass media . Eva sanum did more by the republic than the republican party and telma will do the same...

if your you see the program of " la noria" the people send sms saying " that happens to the royal family because his son married with a people´s woman " " one was due to marry with a princess… what family has letizia… "


I think that she is due to tolerate as their parents… they go by the street and they do not speak…
and I support the elementary right of the juniors… but that to harass to the people with the children by the street happens in Spain because in France if you take a photo to a baby or kids and falls the hair to you

also think that she is not a public personage but she has " proyección pública" … and if it is an intelligent woman would play with the press… that is to say, if I were she I would take publicity of things (Iberia,vaijes halcón or ong where she worked etc…) in my clothes, in the car…to the companies they do not like because they make publicity gratuitous

and I repeat that it is not good that this happens because does not good to the royal family and always there are programs that speak and speak and speak… and always they arrive at same conclusion when the monarchy finishes?


and I believe that he is not "el horno para bollos"

I think humbly that she had to consult with her sister (am harming because it)… she can denounce by harassment a journalist, later to another one, later to another one (one by one) but it cannot have a previous censorship to mass media

(pd:
also I to think that she does not have to use the real guard to take and to bring the papers of the civil registry, to use the bodyguards of the ssiter etc etc… return to the same ...this harms to the royal family and ours (beloved, for me) monarchy

do you understand me more o less?? thanks

Carta abierta a Telma Ortiz Rocasolano :: TodoEllas


El Semanal Digital=


La Nueva España - Diario Independiente de Asturias - Galería - Telma Ortiz y su pareja, Enrique Martín, se irán de España con su hija Amanda en los próximos meses

 

[lula]

Yes and in many messages, the people were saying that it does not import Thelma Ortiz's life for them and that she has right to be a private personage.

I am sorry, I do not share the demagogic speech of the "pink press". They do gossip, and with it they generate a business of thousends of Euros, thing that it is not necessary to confuse in spite of doing information.

I do not justify the harassment that has been done to Thelma, since I do not justify the harassment to which it surrenders to many public prominent figures in this country. But it is that in addition Thelma, has never sold details of her life, her image has never used for enrich economically ... while there are magazines that pay 30.000 Euros for taken photos when she was in the space deprived of the garden of her house.

For the present time nobody has given serious information of these supposed privileges that Thelma has, curiously who there spread these informations are persons who are employed at television and that are owners of agencies who devote themselves to this type of press ... persons who are losing money because Thelma is not ready to sell her life.

Many Royal Houses denounce to the press, and if in Spain it is not done it is because the King has things that to be grateful, and with the press that exists in Spain it is better to take to them well that to take to them badly. Because of it the Spanish Royal House has allowed that one should degrade the Princess of Asturias up to incredible limits ... without putting brake ... because to the press it was not concerning for to continue keeping silent about the messes of the King, not even to behave better with to the separation of Infanta Elena before the pressures of Zarzuela .. because while they could speak about Letizia and her family without nobody was saying anything to them ... they continued doing business.

The Ortiz Rocasolano will be plebeian, but they have supported insorportable, something that nobody has supported of the Royal Family ever, because they are protected before this type of harassments. If there are persons who believe that because a daughter or a sister has married the prince, they deserve all that, badly country we are creating. And if it is because like that this that is applied to the Ortiz Rocasolano there does not apply the Marichalar, Urdangarín, Gomez Acebo, Zurita, Zapatero or De la Vega ... because I see that they harass and insult them this way.

That innocent were those who thought that after Erika's death something would change ... that will be the following thing? To press Thelma until it is so unbearable that she has to go away of the country, because this the offer of some journalists. To continue chasing Francisco Rocasolano until his heart him of a new fright? To continue photographing Carla and to embitter the infancy (that embittered enough has it already)?

 

[fanprincipesasturi]

Yes and in many messages, the people were saying that it does not import Thelma Ortiz's life for them and that she has right to be a private personage.

I am sorry, I do not share the demagogic speech of the "pink press". They do gossip, and with it they generate a business of thousends of Euros, thing that it is not necessary to confuse in spite of doing information.

I do not justify the harassment that has been done to Thelma, since I do not justify the harassment to which it surrenders to many public prominent figures in this country. But it is that in addition Thelma, has never sold details of her life, her image has never used for enrich economically ... while there are magazines that pay 30.000 Euros for taken photos when she was in the space deprived of the garden of her house.

I am agree with you completely… I think that she acted bad because she acted quickly. and that is an argument to give "LA CAÑA DE ESPAÑA"to the rOYAL family…Peña-infiel said that her family would not be to the height… I don´t like PEÑA-INFIEL … and I hope I not to give him to the reason. ASCO DE TÍO.

but you always remembers: CON LAS COSAS DE COMER NO SE JUEGA
BYE,bye

heraldic shield of letizia´s family:
La Monarquia

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

It's a lose-lose situation ... If she wins there will be a backslash on the SRF and Letizia, the press will find another way to continue. If she loses there will be a backslash too, it will even get worse.
I personally think Telma is right, she has to look after herself and her family and since Zarzuela decided not to step in a long time ago she has no choice. I think this escalation is unnecessary ... if all parties concerned had spoken to each other way earlier it could have been avoided ... too late now. If the Kings allow Felipe to marry a woman like Letizia with all her baggage they have to take the whole package and not say, well, her family is not our business. That's wrong and tacky.

 

[Boni]

Telma has the same rights and is entitled to every protection afforded to any other Spanish citizen. She should not have to “support” or rather put up with harassment and intrusions to her personal life.

To inform does not equate with harassing, intruding people’s privacy, distorting the truth and lying. Journalists, true journalists, those who have ethics must be disgusted by the behavior of this gutter press. In fact, they are. The Madrid Press Association issued a statement to that effect in connection with Telma’s actions.

Sure, there are many in Spain who make a living off selling “exclusives.” Telma has never done so and she should not be bullied or blackmailed into providing access to her private life just for the media outlets to reap some economic benefits. While there is tremendous interest in Letizia and everything connected to her, that is not an excuse to harass, bully and blackmail her family.

I wonder why we do not see the same “coverage” or rather persecution of people like Simoneta Gomez Acebo or Laura Ponte who do profit from their family connections. Neither Simoneta nor Laura would dream of sitting in their private garden or opening their front door and seeing a cloud of photographers waiting to shoot their picture without their permission.

The Ortiz Rocasolano family is a normal family, without connections and obviously without protection –except those afforded to all Spanish citizens by law. They have waited for a long time before doing anything about this, they all have put up with this treatment graciously and patiently. It has only gotten worse.

By the way, being a normal, hard working family without connections should not be considered baggage. I find other things are much worse baggage such as being involved with dishonest or shady business deals. When one looks at the family of some candidates to Princess of Asturias, one finds things that are not too far from the supposed blemishes in the Ortiz Rocasolano family: divorce, second marriages, etc. It is part of the lives of many families just that for some –aristocratic or common ones- these events have not been made into a soap opera for the profit of a few.

I hope they will be given some relief.

 

[jjkg]

By the way, being a normal, hard working family without connections should not be considered baggage. I find other things are much worse baggage such as being involved with dishonest or shady business deals. When one looks at the family of some candidates to Princess of Asturias, one finds things that are not too far from the supposed blemishes in the Ortiz Rocasolano family: divorce, second marriages, etc. It is part of the lives of many families just that for some –aristocratic or common ones- these events have not been made into a soap opera for the profit of a few.

Hear! Hear!
Family of which other crown princess (aristocratic or not) has had to suffer this??
This is bad particularly when Thelma has gone out of her way not courting publicity. She didn't even live in the country, taking advantage of her sister's new connections. Yet she is treated abominably.

Not to mention little Carla. Blanking her face out when pics are published is meaningless. The trauma that the little girl faces when cameras are shoved in her face, must be big.

I am surprised that more spanish people are not against this harassment.

 

[donnaK]

Boni, very well said. Right now, certain journalists are attacking Telma because they are afraid once Telma wins the case, it will set the precedence for others, the yellow press will start to loose some of their business and money.

 

[Boni]

It is a sad turn of events, beyond all common sense and basic decency. Some have started to write against this type of "reporting." Perhaps, this is the beginning of a change.

 

[highpriestess]

By the way, being a normal, hard working family without connections should not be considered baggage. I find other things are much worse baggage such as being involved with dishonest or shady business deals. When one looks at the family of some candidates to Princess of Asturias, one finds things that are not too far from the supposed blemishes in the Ortiz Rocasolano family: divorce, second marriages, etc. It is part of the lives of many families just that for some –aristocratic or common ones- these events have not been made into a soap opera for the profit of a few.

I hope they will be given some relief.

I couldn't agree with this more, especially the part of being baggage. Not even late Diana's sisters were chased like this. I hope Telma wins the case so her family could all get some relief.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

By the way, being a normal, hard working family without connections should not be considered baggage. I find other things are much worse baggage such as being involved with dishonest or shady business deals. When one looks at the family of some candidates to Princess of Asturias, one finds things that are not too far from the supposed blemishes in the Ortiz Rocasolano family: divorce, second marriages, etc. It is part of the lives of many families just that for some –aristocratic or common ones- these events have not been made into a soap opera for the profit of a few.

I did not mean "baggage" in a disrepectful way. Being divorced, having divorced parents, siblings with children out of wedlock or a person in the family suffering from depression is everyday life in "normal" families. Probably most families can tell such a story, no big deal, and nothing to be ashamed of. The problem only occurrs in connection with royalty. They are supposed to stand out, why would people want a monarch who is no different from themselves or suffers from the same ordinary problems? Royals are about being flawless and everything else can or even will do harm to the monarchy. This does not only apply to Spain but to any other country (Norway - MM, Britain - I don't think I have to explain etc). Queens like QE II or Sofia are towers of strenght for the institution and enjoy the respect and admiration of the public, not only because they are royals by birth but also because they are perfect ambassadors of what they stand for. The problem is - not only for Letizia - when a person from a commoner family with commoner issues becomes a CP or even Queen. It will be hard to gain respect or to convince people why they should follow a commoner-turned-royal with continuous problems interfering with the stability of monarchy, especially such a weak monarchy as the spanish one.

Therefore it made perfect sense that Queen Sofia would have preferred a royal bride for Felipe as this meant a better chance to avoid such bad headlines. I am sure they are horrified by the development and I wonder what Letizia is thinking. This situation is extremely stressful for her, on the one hand probably understanding what her sister is doing but on the other hand fearing that finally she will be blamed for possible harmful consequences for the monarchy.

 

[Camarina]

Princess of Asturias´sister will leaves Spain because she does not resist the harassment of the press.

EL OBSERVADOR ONLINE

Due to the constant harassment of the press of Spain, Telma Ortiz, Princess of Asturias´sister, requested formally to the Red Cross, an institution for which she works for several years, traveling to a destination outside Spain...

 

[Boni]

I did not mean "baggage" in a disrepectful way. Being divorced, having divorced parents, siblings with children out of wedlock or a person in the family suffering from depression is everyday life in "normal" families. Probably most families can tell such a story, no big deal, and nothing to be ashamed of. The problem only occurrs in connection with royalty. They are supposed to stand out, why would people want a monarch who is no different from themselves or suffers from the same ordinary problems? Royals are about being flawless and everything else can or even will do harm to the monarchy. This does not only apply to Spain but to any other country (Norway - MM, Britain - I don't think I have to explain etc). Queens like QE II or Sofia are towers of strenght for the institution and enjoy the respect and admiration of the public, not only because they are royals by birth but also because they are perfect ambassadors of what they stand for. The problem is - not only for Letizia - when a person from a commoner family with commoner issues becomes a CP or even Queen. It will be hard to gain respect or to convince people why they should follow a commoner-turned-royal with continuous problems interfering with the stability of monarchy, especially such a weak monarchy as the spanish one.

Therefore it made perfect sense that Queen Sofia would have preferred a royal bride for Felipe as this meant a better chance to avoid such bad headlines. I am sure they are horrified by the development and I wonder what Letizia is thinking. This situation is extremely stressful for her, on the one hand probably understanding what her sister is doing but on the other hand fearing that finally she will be blamed for possible harmful consequences for the monarchy.

Duke, I truly understand the point of view that you express in your post. I did not mean the comment on baggage as criticism but rather as an expression of my dismay at continuously seeing all the good points that Princess Letizia does have constantly overshadowed by those issues –constantly raised by a certain segment of the press. Certainly, there are political issues at play in all of this and sometimes if feels as if both Letizia and the Ortiz Rocasolano family are just the current target of choice in a bigger scheme.

It bothers me a bit -and this is a general comment, not in response to your post - because when one sees certain issues on people of noble or aristocratic background, they tend to be overlooked. Had Felipe married Maria Carolina de Borbon-Parma, would her parents’ divorce and her sister Margarita’s problems become a problem to the Royal House as an institution? Had Felipe married Fleur Wurttemberg, would the marriage of Fleur’s parents and her mother’s behavior become an issue? Had one of the Infantas married a son of Queen Beatrix, would the issues that Prince Claus faced even be mentioned when speaking about the groom?

If one starts seriously digging issues, we will often find things that are less than ideal in people’s backgrounds and lives. Perhaps, coming from a royal, aristocratic or noble background helps one achieve a certain kind of immunity –at least among those in the same milieu who will stick their neck out and support one of their own, which in Letizia’s case, she is not (among the upper classes).

A mountain can be made out of a molehill, especially, if there are certain interests at play. And in the case of certain “journalists,” a score to settle. Now the trend in some press is to portray Queen Sofia –who is a wonderful Queen and has all my loyalty, respect, and admiration not only as a Queen but even more important, as a human being - as the paragon of what a Queen is meant to be. She is. Then, these comments are made with something said to the effect that Letiza will not or cannot do. How interesting, where are the people who until not too long ago accused Queen Sofia of being cold, un-emotional (right word in English?), speaking English in the privacy of her home, of not getting along with her sisters-in-law Pilar and Margarita, being too close to her Greek family, etc. It is the same game, they have just found a different target.

Anyway, looooong post, just to say I wish the gutter press would leave this family alone. I feel that they crossed the line a long time ago and what they have done to this family is quite terrible.

 

[Jackswife]

It's really appalling to think that Telma feels she has to ask for a job transfer due to the hounding by the media. I'm sure when Letizia married Felipe she had no clue that her family would suffer and be harassed in this way, and she probably feels really badly that things have reached this point. This is a really, really sad turn of events.

 

[catango]

I couldn't agreed more,. the Spanish press is horrible, they think that they have the right to get into the princess Family life without any reasons, this yellow press is well paid in Spain and is soooooooooo disgusting.

 

[donnaK]

I couldn't agree with this more, especially the part of being baggage. Not even late Diana's sisters were chased like this. I hope Telma wins the case so her family could all get some relief.

I mentioned this before too. There is absolutely no place to harass the in-laws as the paparazzis in Spain did to the Ortiz Rocasolano family , not even the worst paparazzis in the world (the British paparazzis) did this to the Spencer family at the peak of Diana's years as the Princess of Wales. Then with the characters like Charles Spencer and Sarah Spencer, I don't think the Spencer family would have waited 4 long years to file a lawsuit.
I think Telma is set to win. I don't think the judge will allow taking pictures in a private garden, or having cameras on the top of a private citizen's head everywhere she goes, if Telmas loses, there won't be any justice in Spain . WA and Maxima had similar lawsuits before and they won even as public figures. Now the pink press is quite nervous. Some were attacking Telma, putting pressure on her and the royal house in hope of Telma withdrawing the case. According to them, the royal house had nothing to do with Telma's lawsuit. Telma's business hadn't been the royal house's business, I doubt Telma needed Zarzuela's permission to file a lawsuit.
I happen to think if Telma wins the case, it will take the Ortiz Rocasolano family out of the public eyes, in the long run, it not only benefits the Ortiz Rocasolano family, also the royal family as well. I don't think Zarzuela liked to see Paloma or her 90-year-old father being chased down the street, answering stupid questions all the time.