Oona O'Neill and assistant, Harry Crocker. Crocker photographed the event for gossip columnist Louella Parsons, to whom Chaplin had given exclusive rights to publicize news of the marriage in the hopes that she would write a more positive article about it than her rival, Hedda Hopper, who strongly disliked him. The elopement received a large amount of media attention due to the 36-year age gap between O'Neill and Chaplin, and because his ex-girlfriend, Joan Barry, had filed a paternity suit against him only two weeks earlier. Although Agnes had given the union her blessing, it cemented O'Neill's estrangement from her father, who
Gossip columnist with no supporting source or evidence, the celebrity can sue for libel on the grounds that their reputation was defamed. There is however circumstances where gossip columnist may not be fact checking the information they are receiving from their sources before publishing their stories. Not to mention that there are gossip columnist that are not reputable themselves to be posting articles about celebrities. As a result of this there is a chance that there are stories that have been publish that could lead to the defamation of celebrities. The first gossip columnist, dominating the 1930s and 40s, was Walter Winchell,