--Munchausen by Payday

Munchausen by Payday
by Michael Jahn


Britney Spear's parents are cashing in on her head scramblings.

Lindsay Lohan's parents are going to the bank based on her rehabitual collapses.

And now Dannielynn Smith is embarking upon eye surgery unaware that her father is selling the rights to the story, say gossip sites.

Celebrities selling pix of their kids is nothing new. It seems impossible for a celebrity to spawn lately without tapping one of the tabs or supermarket rags for a few mil. Supposedly Christina Aguilera is upset that her kid pics are fetching a fraction of J. Lo's kids pics.

So there's nothing new about that. I'm sure that J Lo needs the money.

What IS new is celebrity parents cashing in on their kids illnesses. Even more, celebrity parents driving their kids so hard they wind up in rehab and then the folks sell the story to the highest bidder.

You know the history. First came Munchausen Syndrome. A person makes herself - it's usually a woman - to get attention from doctors. Then came Munchausen by Proxy. Mom makes her KID sick so she can get attention from doctors, but without enduring the actual pain herself. But now we have something new. You can call it Munchausen by Payday. A double payback - attention from the psychiatrists AND a big payday.

Baron Munchausen would be jealous. He only told tall tales about himself and no one paid him.

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