Terry Richardson: Fashion photographer accused of sexual assault barred from working with Vogue
Conde Nast boss tells staff that company 'would like to no longer work with' notorious artist
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Your support makes all the difference.An American photographer accused of sexual assault has allegedly been barred from working with a host of fashion magazines.
Staff at Conde Nast International, the publisher behind Vogue, GQ, Glamour and Vanity Fair, were told on Monday to stop working with Terry Richardson, according to The Telegraph.
An email circulated among the media group reportedly said work already commissioned from the 52-year-old should be “killed or substituted with other material”.
Richardson has been dogged for years by allegations of misconduct during photo shoots known for their erotic content. In 2014 he said explicit acts were part of “exploring sexuality” following complaints from models.
The email, allegedly sent by Conde Nast’s executive vice president James Woolhouse, was circulated the day after an article in a Sunday newspaper asked why Richardson was still being “feted by fashionistas”.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Woolhouse wrote: “I am writing to you on an important matter. Conde Nast would like to no longer work with the photographer Terry Richardson.
“Any shoots that have been commission[ed] or any shoots that have been completed but not yet published, should be killed and substituted with other material.
“Please could you confirm that this policy will be actioned in your market effective immediately. Thank you for your support in this matter.”
Although allegations have resurfaced against Richardson in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, no fresh claims have been made.
A stylist accused the New York photographer of sexual assault in 2014, saying she had been invited to a shoot at his home and told to reveal her breasts.
“Suddenly, I felt a d*** pressing into the side of my face,” she wrote in an email to Jezebel. “He pressed it to my lips. He clearly wanted a blow job and wanted it documented on camera.”
In the same year, a model alleged Richardson has directed her to fellate him during a photo shoot when she was 19.
No criminal charges have ever been filed against Richardson.
He has openly talked about photo shoots getting “wild” and published pictures of sex acts, sometimes involving himself.
A collection of his work, called Kibosh, features pictures of Richardson’s penis, as well as him receiving oral sex or ejaculating on a woman’s face.
Richardson and Conde Nast have both been contacted for comment.
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