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Terry Richardson Banned From Working With Conde Nast Publications
7:47 AM PDT 10/24/2017 by Sam Reed
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Fashion's most controversial photographer has been accused of harassment for years.
One of fashion's most controversial photographers, Terry Richardson, has reportedly been banned from working with Conde Nast International publications. The news was first reported by The Telegraph, which obtained leaked internal emails.
A representative from Conde Nast US issued the following statement to The Hollywood Reporter: "Conde Nast has nothing planned with him going forward. Sexual harassment of any kind is unacceptable and should not be tolerated." Conde Nast International did not immediately return request for comment.
Conde Nast International's portfolio includes international editions of titles including Vogue and GQ.
The Telegraph reports that an email was sent on Monday morning by James Woolhouse, CNI's chief executive vice president and COO, to "country presidents," and reads, "Conde Nast would like to no longer work with the photographer Terry Richardson." He added that any work already commissioned by the photographer should be "killed or substituted with other material."
A representative for Richardson told Buzzfeed News that "Terry is disappointed to hear about this email especially because he has previously addressed these old stories. He is an artist who has been known for his sexually explicit work so many of his professional interactions with subjects were sexual and explicit in nature but all of the subjects of his work participated consensually."
Breaking: Terry Richardson responds to reports he's been banned from Conde Nast magazines https://t.co/Bf5MA7ybzi pic.twitter.com/PMdIzckbQI
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) October 24, 2017
Though Woolhouse's email did not explicitly state a reason for ending the relationship with Richardson, the photographer, 52, has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by a number of models over the years. Despite the allegations, he has continued to work with titles including V Magazine, GQ Germany and Dazed, and brands such as Valentino and Supreme. He has also worked with A-list talent like Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus, as well as models Bella Hadid and Imaan Hammam. Last month, Richardson and his wife, Alex Bolotow, were profiled in a wedding feature for Town and Country magazine (a Hearst publication) and sat front row at Jeremy Scott's fashion show at New York Fashion Week.
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, several leaders in the fashion industry have pointed out that Richardson had long been accused of harassment and assault (a 2013 Change.org petition asking brands and magazines to sever ties with him received more than 30,000 signatures but did not seem to affect his career), leading the Sunday Times to publish a piece this week asking, "Why is Terry Richardson, who shot Miley Cyrus's 'Wrecking Ball' video, still feted by fashionistas?" In 2014, Richardson responded to allegations against him in the Huffington Post, writing, "I collaborated with consenting adult women who were fully aware of the nature of the work."
Just yesterday, New York State assemblywoman Nily Rozic introduced legislation aimed to offer more protection for models against harassment after the issue was brought to her attention by Sara Ziff, a model and founder of the organization Model Alliance, which aims to provide support and protection for models. Industry vets like Karen Elson and Christy Turlington have also come forward with stories about the "rampant" harassment and assault that takes place in the fashion industry.
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