There's no limit to how much money celebrities are being paid to pimp out their babies in the magazines and tabloids.
After paying Christina Aguilera a reported $1.5 million in February for shots of her newborn, Max, People shelled out a whopping $6 million to Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony for the first photos of new twins, Max and Emme.
One magazine editor who asked to remain anonymous said, "It's at the point now where some stars might decide to have more kids just to collect the money from their photos."
Pregnant stars are now "treating this like a game," said National Enquirer Executive Editor Barry Levine.
"It's become big business now," Levine said. "It's outrageous, they've gotten very sophisticated. The rights are bought up now even before the celeb enters the hospital. They hire extra security so it's impossible to obtain a photo illegally."
Levine said stars now realize that having a child is "akin to getting a role in a movie." And the glossies don't mind paying because they recoup the money over time with magazine sales, Web hits, and by re-selling the photos overseas.
Angelina Jolie, rumored to be carrying twins, could nab up to $10 million for selling the first exclusive photos of the babies, Levine estimates.
"That's where the market is right now," he said. "When I was the editor of Star in LA, we bought photos of Lisa Marie Presley's baby back in 1989 for $100,000, and at the time I thought it was outrageous. Now it's chump change." He added, "I'd like to see more people like Sarah Jessica Parker standing outside the hospital and giving the shot away for free."
American Media Editorial Director Bonnie Fuller said the payouts just keep escalating. "If J.Lo really did get $6 million, then I think Angelina can now command $8 million," Fuller said. "The magazines must look at it as a long-term investment, but I think it'll cap out at a certain point."
Halle Berry, who just gave birth to a baby girl, falls below Jolie in terms of interest. "I can't think at this point who could command more money than Brangelina," said Fuller.
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