Person close to deal: Jolie-Pitt pix for US$14 mil

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-02 10:42

NEW YORK - Exclusive photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn twins fetched US$14 million, a person involved in the negotiations said, giving People magazine and a British tabloid joint rights to publish the most expensive celebrity pictures ever sold.

In this May 15, 2008 file photo, American actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive for the premiere of the film 'Kung Fu Panda,' during the 61st International film festival in Cannes, southern France. [Agencies]

The person asked not to be named because he was not authorized to release the figure. People will feature twin babies Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon in an issue to hit newsstands Monday, spokeswoman Nancy Valentino said Friday.

The money - more than double the US$6 million People paid for Jennifer Lopez' twins on a March cover, according to Forbes - will go to a foundation created by Pitt and Jolie that largely focuses on helping children around the world.

It's the second time the celebrity weekly won the North American rights to the couple's first-look baby pictures, and the third time they've worked with the two magazines in exchange for a hefty donation to charity.

"We're thrilled to be able to feature these pictures in People," managing editor Larry Hackett said in a statement.

People will split the bill with London-based Hello! magazine, which has worldwide rights; particulars of the division were not disclosed. People.com will unveil the first photo online Sunday evening.

Even before the babies were born July 12 in Nice, France, the speculation began over which celeb mag would come out on top of an inevitable bidding war. The couple ultimately chose to go a familiar route with its joint deal between People and Hello!, with Getty Images as the photographer and go-between.

People ponied up a reported US$4 million donation for the US rights to the first shots of their daughter Shiloh, now 2 years old, while Hello! obtained the British rights. And last year, the couple sold intimate shots of their son Pax, then 3 years old, to Hello! and People.

Getty Images, which was involved in the Shiloh deal, also took part this time around. In a statement, Getty co-founder and CEO Jonathan Klein said his company was "delighted that all proceeds from these stunning images will once again be donated entirely to charity."

When People the published six photos of Pitt, Jolie and baby Shiloh in June 2006, the issue moved 2.2 million copies, its biggest seller at the time going back to its 4 million-selling 9/11 special, Media Week reported at the time.

Jolie, 33, and Pitt, 44, established their foundation that year. They donated US$1 million in June to The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict to help children affected by the war in Iraq. Last year, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation gave more than US$300,000 to support the International Rescue Committee's relief program for Darfur refugees.

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