Joost van der Westhuizen in Heat
So my colleague brought the latest issue of heat magazine to my desk this morning to skinner about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
My eyes however immediately fell on the article called “Money troubles for Joost” which details van der Westhuizen’s alleged money woes.
His lawyer charged him under a R100 000 (who knows how much under R100 000) for 6 days of service after Joostgate broke.
Remind me to never go to a lawyer for any reason. Actually remind me not to get famous – very easy that one, mind you!
Joost understandably queried the sum, which the Law Society of South Africa said was within the average! Yikes!
Anyway, the article goes on to to say that while Joost is currently not on air at Supersport, he is still getting his salary which according to Supersport’s Clinton van der Berg, is under R500 000 a year.
Someone ostensibly thought Joost was getting R5 million a year at Supersport. Who would be that crazy? Ex-rugby Springboks are dime a dozen these days.
Since we don’t really have a celebrity culture in South Africa, it is probably reasonable to expect that gossip magazines and tabloid newspapers would cling to sparse stories like leeches.
Sometimes it feels very personal though. As if these tabloids want to inflict damage on local celebrities.
The sex tape story broke months ago, but instead of moving on, heat continues to look for more to write about. It’s as if they won’t be satisfied until either Amor leaves Joost, they bear their souls on 3rd degree or that they’re left destitude and friendless.
It’s like that whole Susan Boyle story – first the press loves her until we’re bored to death of her, then they try to bring her down.
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11 Responses to “Joost van der Westhuizen in Heat”
By Greg on May 30, 2009 | Reply
Pathetic and greedy how much lawyers charge.
…..
and Heat just as greedy . So sad to see how many people just think about themselves totally,and how very much money rules the world.
This is proof enought to me that there is no God who ensures justice and who is just.
By Abigail Abrahams on May 31, 2009 | Reply
Greg, I wonder how someone who isn’t super rich is supposed to get justice.
Those tabloids can write whatever they want and less you want to bankrupt yourself you will just have to let them be – what can Joost do?
He has a family to support.
By tylo on Jun 14, 2009 | Reply
I suggest people sign petitions to bring more justice into the systym,to change some laws for the media. Its unacceptable that the media can just do what they want and if you dont have money to sue for demation you are stranded.I suggest sending a petition around via email or via a large gathering such as businesses.The cheek aswell of the media to say that celebrities make money off the media and when things go bad, they wont take the bad publicity.The celebrities dont so to gosssip mags saying; Can we put our wedding in the paper , do they? Isnt it ALWAYS the gossip mags coming to celebs whenever they want to write good OR bad? If there is no bad,curious news to write about, they will see if there are weddings etc to write about. So it really is a not right at all for the mags to make out as if the celebs are making money off the good news interviews, but wont take the bad news interviews. PLEASE! The gossip mags are the ones always coming to the celebs to ask them if they can write about whatever, not the other way around.Is this not so?Or am I mistaken? In any event though, the gossip mags make money either way off celebs, which ever way it works. ( and I am quite convinced it works in such a way the the magazines come to the celebs, and the celebs dont ask to be in the magazines ) Sometimes celebs have to answer up against demation in the media, like Joost did, because he cant afford the expensive lawsuit against the media, so he has to go the media and do an interview to give his side of the story, not as if he is doing this for the money. I think gossip mags with their low IQ, and rubbish information, and selfish motivations should be banned.
By Abigail Abrahams on Jun 15, 2009 | Reply
tylo,
I think the gossip mags pretty much write what they want – of course they try to get sources, but they certainly don’t give two hoots about the celebrities. Unless it’s in that rag’s interest to acty sympathetic.
Yes, there should be an ombudsman or something to fine these tabloids when they stretch the truth. It is shameful what they can get away with. And no one except the very rich can fight back.
By Stephan on Jun 30, 2009 | Reply
Greg…Isn’t it short sighted to judge God for people’s silly behaviour???
By Henry on Dec 17, 2009 | Reply
Stephan is it not shortsighted to not even consider that maybe there could be no God. You might be indoctrinated by your parents beliefs and don’t even consider that there is no God because no life after death is such a scary thought. I’m not blaming God , because there may be no God , and no one knows if there is or not.
Its short sighted to think that religion is a proven reality.It really might be wishful thinking and people using it to rule this planet. Think hard about it and do some extensive research, instead of just reading the bible. We were all not around to see who wrote those things.
By Tiara on Dec 17, 2009 | Reply
Yes, I agree with Abigail Abrahams.By the way I don’t think Joost is still getting paid because maybe legally they were forced to fire him for some reason. However I think that perhaps they are fair about the situation because they see it from many angles, unlike some people who don’t practice what they preach. Media says Joost is greedy and a liar?Is this not what they said? How money hungry are the media?The bottom line is Joost did nothing to the public.
I hope this time he wins a suing case against the people that say that he lied in his business procedures etc. Personally I just get the feeling like they are very deliberately bringing Joost down because they realized they
were to much in a hurry to post the video without being sure its him.Or were they sure its him? They then got a lot of negative public response perhaps, which they would never publish perhaps and now they want to show the public they never had any greedy intentions.(Perhaps?I don’t know) It was all in the name of good intentions to show South Africans he is a liar.Isn’t that what they said?
My question is why are they so very keen to show he is a liar? ( for lying about his personal life which concerns nobody but his wife) Why ? This does not make any sense to me. The only thing that would make sense is if they do this to sell their stories.In other words the motivation would be money. That and that only makes sense to me.They are not practicing what they are preaching though. In this event they then would be even more money hungry and this would mean that they are lying about their intentions as well.(if my assumptions are anything to go by)
By the way I don’t believe that Joost gets 5 million a year.Probably more like 3 million if anything. One should not take anything the tabloids write that seriously. They say many things. Ive heard that some tabloids the world over write whatever.Personally I think the only reason there have not been more lawsuits is because the celebs just don’t have the time for it, and are probably not as greedy as certain media.
By Bernili on Dec 18, 2009 | Reply
What I would like to know is why the maker of the video Anthony de Beer (24 apparently) is not taken to justice for blackmailing,lying and causing so much pain for everyone involved.
I would not have taken this lightly.I would think of the best revenge tactics that would teach him the lesson.Apparently they own Kaan estate agency in Pretoria.So its obvious:
Joost is in property so obviously besides this being a very malicious attempt at beating competition (it would have worked without these selfish tactics) Its obviously all about MONEY.
This guy should sit in jail.I would so not have tolerated this.I mean it was proven it was him.Why do people never talk about that?
Why is it Joost who committed all the crimes?
Look at Anthony de Beers tactics.Just for interest is that the guy on face book ( 24 years old)? Wonder if the parents Karen and Andy de Beer of Pretoria encouraged the release of the video,since Joost is a competitor in the property market?But perhaps they had nothing to do with it.Just wondering since they are the owners of Kaan or are they not?
Why in all the world has Anthony de Beer not been made public with his crimes,which are more selfish than Joosts???This is completely unacceptable.
By Bernili on Dec 18, 2009 | Reply
Was he the not the blackmailer as well?
I wonder if he lied that he was not the blackmailer as well? He knows this would have been a heavy penalty in jail.
I cannot believe this is not even addressed by people.Everyone just worries about Joost pathetic infidelities and drugs on SOME occasions.
A blackmailer and someone who does anything for money at the expense of other people can do what they want apparently.
Van Emmis as well is not the topic of discussion when she knows shes with a married man,and knows she is doing all of this to make herself famous and for money -once again.
Why do people never discuss the greater criminals of the bunch?
By Media greed of the first degree on Dec 19, 2009 | Reply
From everything I have read I don’t think this is a ploy.I think there are competitors out there trying very hard to bring Joost down.
I firmly believe that the saga is true but that the media are capitalizing on this and then still have the audacity to call Joost greedy,when they are a million fold more greedy.
They actually still genuine believe they have every right to use Joosts story to make money.
There are people who say the media paid him for his weddings .Please as if the media does not make money ASWELL with every single publishing of a celebrity story. These are probably people from the media itself who hold that view. They are ultra,ultra selfish and just think about themselves and money.
Do you know how much money the media make having stories on Joost and then having all the ads on the sites? They basically need any story that will provoke a response and then they put ads on their sites .The people who own the sites make lots of money off the ads and off many other things like clicking on every icons can also make money.
Do you really think people that own websites agree or disagree with the story they are publishing?Its all about money again. The more icons and especially ads they get on the site the more money. The more people that respond the more money for them eventually.
They found a scandal they couldn’t care less if they break up a marriage ,or what this does to his life.The cynics that say Joost didn’t need that much money.Hello! the media didn’t need that much money either!!Look at the lengths they go to to make money of anything and everything they can find.
By zimzim on Dec 23, 2009 | Reply
I really don’t think Joost gets paid 500 000 a year.I would estimate between 200 000 and 300 000 which many top paying positions pay.
(easily)Joost salary would very likely be around 300 000 and not much more.
By the way many editors are given instructions on what and how to edit journalists work. If you read on Joost for example,its not what the journalist wrote originally. Perhaps its the top editors opinion? Perhaps its also the opinion of the publisher then?Or perhaps the owners of that specific media?Journalists definatly don’t have all the say.The influence comes from the top.
I still cannot believe that the media people are so adamant that they reserve every right to intrude in celebs personal lives.
Just because someone got the greedy idea to make money off celebs and started this whole thing, this doesn’t mean that everyone,especially on the receiving end, welcomes this business idea!Just because entertainment is their livelihood it does not mean that everyone wants to be bothered in their private lives. Back off media you came up with the idea of private life intrusion to make money!Yes,its exposure for the celebs,but as you know only too well, its often very bad exposure,untrue,humiliating and very unfair.Give these people the freedom that you want too.Leave them alone,and make as though it was you in their shoes.
I have an idea lets start a tabloid aimed only at the private lives of the owners of newspapers,tabloids, and some journalists.
They better look over their shoulders all the time,because you never know when they will be caught picking their noses, or with their pants down. Even tripping with your child in your arm could be a problem.They could carry the label of bad parenthood for ever and after,after that.Because people don’t think for themselves,and are influenced by the media, a whole nation will be brainwashed by the medias selfishness,and then there will be nothing you can do media!