These Are The 10 Most Expensive Magazine Covers Ever Shot

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In the past two decades, there has been an explosive hike in the prices publishers pay celebrities to get a glimpse into their personal lives. While paparazzi and media outlets hound stars during significant events of their lives, celebrities have found a better outlet to control the scrutiny while giving people what they want. They hire a private photographer for mega-events such as weddings and births to be published in a magazine that guarantees a celebrity-approved photo. They make millions from the deal.

These lucrative deals have helped celebrities remain secluded from the media attention by giving them limited access to their lives while appeasing the fans everywhere. Many celebrities put the money into savings or cover their expenses, while others use the sum to support various charity causes. From the Douglas-Zeta-Jones wedding that matched the sum of the wedding to the Jolie-Pitt earnings used for a philanthropic cause, let’s look at the most expensive covers ever shot.

Eva Longoria and Tony Parker’s Wedding ($2 million)

Star of Desperate Housewives Eva Longoria met basketball player Tony Parker in a locker room, and two years later, the couple got married in front of their loved ones. As mentioned by Luxury Launches, the wedding ceremony took place at the Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte in Paris, and Ok! Magazine was the highest bidder paying $2 million for the exclusive photos for publishing.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s Secret Wedding ($2 million)

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon only dated for six weeks before Cannon proposed to the singer with a $2.5 million emerald ring. Fans loved the unexpected fairytale romance, and everyone awaited the nuptials. They had a secret wedding, and People won the bidding war against Ok! to obtain the rights to the photos, which cost the publisher $2 million.

Angela Jolie’s First Post-Adoption Photos With Pax ($2 million)

After three children, Angelina Jolie welcomed another son to her family from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The three-year-old was named Pax Thien Jolie. As noted by People, Pax means Peace in Latin while Thien stands for Sky in Vietnamese. The March 2007 cover had Jolie photographed with her new son, and People purchased the rights for $2 million.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Ceremony ($2.2 million)

When Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones spent $1.5 million on their wedding ceremony, it was cited as one of the most expensive events in Hollywood. The couple earned back almost the entire expenses after selling their wedding photos to Ok! Magazine for $1.4 million, and People paid an additional $800,000 to republish them, which brought the total to $2.2 million.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ Great Indian-Christian Wedding ($2.5 million)

After a whirlwind romance, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas got married in December 2018 in a five-day ceremony in India. In one of the most highly-anticipated wedding events, the couple tied the knot in Hindu and Christian rituals. Chopra wore a 75-feet long veil with her custom Ralph Lauren wedding dress, and the couple sold their photos to People Magazine for $2.5 million.

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves’ First Child ($3 million)

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves met at a club on Sunset Boulevard in 2006, and two years later, they were welcoming their first child, Levi Alves McConaughey. The actor shared a statement giving an update about the healthy state of the mother and baby at the time. According to the Huffington Post, McConaughey sold the first picture of his newborn to Ok! for $3 million.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher’s Wedding ($3 million)

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher began dating in 2003 and married two years later in a Kabbalah ceremony in their Beverly Hills home. The first glimpses of the private ceremony were published by Ok! Magazine for $3 million, and the now-former couple also gave an interview discussing their life and the future.

First Glance At Shiloh Jolie-Pitt ($4.1 million)

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s first biological daughter, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt featured in People magazine in June 2006. People paid $4.1 million to release the first photographs of the newborn baby, and the entire amount was donated to various charities that aided African children in impoverished regions.

Jennifer Lopez And Her Twins ($6 million)

As stated by The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Lopez and then-husband Marc Antony cashed a $6 million check from People magazine to star on the cover with twins Max and Emme. As Lopez kept her pregnancy a secret for a long period, it helped create a buzz around the birth of her children. Born in Long Island, New York, Max was born a minute before his sister Emme.

Angelia Jolie, Brad Pitt, And The Twins ($14 million)

Clinching the title for the most expensive magazine cover ever shot, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were paid $14 million by UK-based Hello magazine in a joint deal with People to publish the first glimpse at the couple’s twins, Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt. The money earned from the photos was directly donated to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation for philanthropic causes.

Other notable celebrity magazine covers include the Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries wedding photos that sold for $2 million, and Jessica Alba sold her newborn daughter Honor Marie Warren’s photos for $1.5 million. These magazine covers have helped sell millions of extra copies as audiences have always enjoyed a glimpse into celebrities' lives.

Sources: Luxury Launches, People, Huffington Post, The Hollywood Reporter