Controversial American fashion photographer, Terry Richardson, has been banned from shooting for some of the planet’s top fashion magazines that arguably made him a global heavyweight in the fashion business.
According to reports on the UK’s The Daily Telegraph, an email was circulated by Condé Nast management – publishers of the likes of Vogue, GQ and Glamour – that the publisher would no longer work with Richardson.
Although it’s not exactly clear the cause of the consternation, Richardson is famous for his raunchy, porny imagery and rumours (which he’s repeatedly denied) of inappropriate behaviour with young models. It’s speculated that Condé Nast no longer want to be associated with him, particularly in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations making unsavoury news on an almost daily basis.
Over the weekend, the UK’s The Times ran an article titled “Why is Terry Richardson, who shot Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball video, still feted by fashionistas?” In it, the article said of Richardson: “A renowned photographer who has been the subject of widespread allegations of sexually abusing models over many years is still lauded by many in the industry, despite gaining a reputation as the Harvey Weinstein of fashion.”
According to the The Daily Telegraph article, Richardson had been in dispute with Condé Nast over his copyright for some time, however, he was dismissed moments after The Times article appeared.
The Condé Nast staff email came from James Woolhouse, the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, and was sent to its offices worldwide. The email read: “I am writing to you on an important matter. Condé 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.”
Apparently, there is a fresh allegation against Richardson, however, he wrote a letter, published on The Huffington Post website last Friday addressing the “rumours”.
Richardson’s letter read: “I collaborated with consenting adult women who were fully aware of the nature of the work, and as is typical with any project, everyone signed releases.
“I have never used an offer of work or a threat of rebuke to coerce someone into something that they did not want to do.
“I give everyone that I work with enough respect to view them as having ownership of their free will and making their decisions accordingly, and as such, it has been difficult to see myself as a target of revisionist history.”
