In his recent GQ interview, Kanye vowed to take drastic steps to “raise the respect level for celebrities so that my daughter can live a normal life.”

And Mr. West meant drastic. British magazine Grazia reports the Wests’ have paid $500,000 to hire a baby double for their 13-month old daughter North.  According to Grazia, auditions were held in Los Angeles for North look-alikes. The couple has also hired a body double for their nanny.

The Wests aren’t the only couple who’ve used controversial methods to shelter their children from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Tom Cruise and ex-wife Katie Holmes reportedly have also used body double’s to protect their daughter Suri.

While $500,00 dollars to prevent the inevitable snap from photographers and rants comparing celebrities to African Americans in the 60′s might provoke a few eyerolls, West isn’t the first celebrity to speak out against the paps. Last year , both Halle Berry’s and Jennifer Garner’s testimonies at the California State Capital made the “threat” of paparazi harrasment very real. While testifying to support a new bill to expand the definition of harrasment, Berry and Garner gave their account on the lows paparazzi stoop to in order to get a good photograph.

Comments like ” How do you feel Nahla? You may not see your father again. How do you feel about that?” were thrown at Berry and her 5-year-old daughter by paparrazi. Garner, who told stories of photographers hiding behind her daughters school expressed desire to shelter their children from the burden’s of celebrity life.

Kanye echoed these concerns in his interview stating:

“She [North] didn’t choose to be a celebrity. But she is. So I’m going to fight to makes sure she has a better life.”

 

– Alexandria Tribble @Y_iOuwta