According to recent reports, Lindsay Lohan's father pushed for a deal in which his daughter's accuser at the Betty Ford Center would refuse to cooperate with police and then make amends with the actress and sell photographs of the moment for up to $25,000 to the celebrity gossip media.
The money trail in this world is often shadowy and it has resulted in several criminal investigations, but the fact remains that celebrity gossip is big business. An analysis of advertising estimates from sites like TMZ.com and Radar Online shows that the revenue stream from celebrity gossip sites currently tops $3 billion a year. Records in a lawsuit between TLC and one of its former top reality stars, Jon Gosselin, give a good idea of the cash flow that finances exclusive content. Gosselin generated interview offers worth at least $365,000 in a single year. There was actually much more for appearances and other events that was paid in cash, not checks, so there would be no record of it.
