Fashion Photographer Terry Richardson Sexually Assaults Another Young Model

Terry Richardson (left) with filmmaker Woody Allen. Both have been accused of sexual assault.

As you may have heard in the news, yet another model has come forward to share her experience of sexual violation at the hands of fashion photographer ‘Uncle’ Terry Richardson. Richardson’s most recently revealed victim, at the time a 19 year old art student who had been nude modeling to make some extra money, described her run-in with the photog in graphic detail in an AMA post on Reddit. The model applied to pose for Richardson via his website and was subsequently invited to his studio, where she was sexually assaulted (all while in the presence of Richardson’s female assistant). Here are some quotes from the AMA post:

–       “[Richardson’s assistant] had me sign the model release forms. I don’t remember what they said, definitely not anything specific about what he would want to do though, I had signed several of these before and it looked the same.”

–       “… it felt like it was all just happening and there was no time to step back and be like ‘woah this is out of hand.’”

–       “Finally, they backed off and were still acting like everything was totally fun and normal and upbeat or whatever and I think I was visibly in shock. I am a quiet person and I was definitely quiet in that moment and that’s when [Richardson] asked if I had a boyfriend. I said yes and he started overly sweetly apologizing and so did his assistant. And he said ‘Oh I always mean to ask that first I’m so sorry.’ This was the part that actually bothered me the most because A. I think what had just happened was hitting me, and B. It felt so fake and planned and like a slap in the face. I said it was fine that it didn’t matter and he wouldn’t care it’s ok (I don’t know why, obviously he would and did care. He knew I was nude modeling but nothing like this).”

–       “[Richardson’s assistant] was giving me weird advice on how everything we did was ok and how I am clearly a strong girl but I wasn’t even asking for advice.”

These quotes show that Terry Richardson knows exactly how to get what he wants: he deliberately normalizes unacceptable sexual behaviour through a combination of A. Taking advantage of ignorance and inexperience, and B. Employing socially accepted practices (having models sign contracts, having a female assistant in the room) to create a false sense of comfort. It’s like going to the doctor and getting a physical. A. During a physical, would you know exactly the moment when your doctor crossed the line between medical and sexual? What would it take for you to question this medical professional? Now imagine your doctor was revered throughout the medical community as one of the greatest doctors alive. B. If a male doctor will be examining a female patient, a female nurse is required to be in the room by law. Now imagine that that female nurse participated in your doctor’s sexual assault on you. And imagine that both your doctor and your nurse continued to normalize their behaviours during and after the event. The likely result? You’d get home and wonder “What just happened?!” In a larger sense, Richardson’s sexually depraved drunk uncle public persona manages to decrease the shock value in stories of his sexual abuses. His whole schtick is a “cool,” “fashionable” trashiness, an overt sexuality juxtaposed with trucker hats and hamburgers. To decry Richardson as offensive, perverse and obnoxious would only affirm his backwards sort of appeal.

Emily Ratajkowski for GQ, photographed by Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson’s two-pronged method of sexually degrading women without consequence rests on the unbalanced power dynamic between a photographer and his or her subject – the photographer asserts dominance by looking at, directing and capturing the model, who is rendered submissive. Richardson has actually acknowledged this, referring to his camera as a “phallus” which he occasionally hands over to models to make them feel more in control. The photographer is in control of the portrayal of the subject – he is able to take a multifaceted woman and freeze her, creating an object out of her. Richardson seems to have taken this power dynamic a step further, believing that his models literally have become objects – sexual objects, as the nature of Richardson’s work demands – as a result of being snapped by his camera.

No wonder Terry Richardson keeps getting his hands on unwilling young women.

The celebrities that young models idolize worship Richardson. Just in the past 30 days, Richardson has photographed Kate Moss, Lea Michele and Lady Gaga. Until celebrities of this caliber refuse to work with Richardson, he’ll continue to be one of the most powerful photographers in Hollywood; thankfully, a select few have spoken out against him. Lena Dunham said earlier this year: “I’m not big on regrets, but I regret posing for Terry Richardson. As for being friends with him, he’s not and never was my friend… I’m not in the business of being BFFs with alleged sexual predators.” Supermodel Coco Rocha was made so uncomfortable the one time she worked with Richardson that she refuses to do so ever again. Other disenchanted models who have spoken out against the photographer include Liskula Cohen, Rie Rasmussen and Jamie Peck.

I wonder why, in the fashion industry, which is largely dominated by women, this sort of man is being given so many high-profile jobs. Why do women not demand photographers who respect women? Richardson isn’t so talented that his output can’t be denied due to his reputation. This is not to say that I think anyone’s work is so valuable that it warrants the dismissal of sexual abuse, although I admit that artists like Michael Jackson and Woody Allen are immensely talented and consequently more difficult to cut out of their respective professions due to alleged sexual indiscretions. But here’s the thing: while Richardson has a certain recognizable aesthetic, his work is largely repetitive, with celebrities overlit and shot against white backdrops in minimal clothing. Is super-plain, porny nudity really the formula for iconic photography? “Uncle Terry or American Apparel?” would make a great game.

A perfect example of Richardson’s creative genius (*sarcasm*) is the video he directed for Miley Cyrus’s song “Wrecking Ball.” The man who dominates the world of fashion photography heard the wrecking ball simile in Cyrus’s lyrics and put her on a literal wrecking ball, and – shocker – she was nude! I wonder what would have happened had Richardson been hired for one of Cyrus’s earlier hits – a naked Miley Cyrus hiking up a mountain singing “The Climb”? It’s probably obvious by now, but Richardson didn’t even come by his career through talent. His fame and success is essentially based on nepotism – his father was also a famous fashion photographer.

A shot from Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” music video, directed by Terry Richardson

Besides being untalented, Richardson creates images that are just plain offensive to women. From his tendency to put objects in models’ mouths to his book Terryworld, which is filled with pornographic images of women fellating him (one from inside a trashcan), Richardson certainly doesn’t fall anywhere on the feminism spectrum, or even near it for that matter. Interesting, then, that such self-professed feminists as Beyoncé and Madonna willingly strip off their clothing to pose for him. Perhaps Richardson’s fall from grace requires a Dylan Farrow figure – someone willing to call out his high-profile supporters.

And then there’s this precious quote from Terry Richardson himself: “I was a shy kid and now I’m this powerful guy with a boner, dominating all these girls.”

Now what’s your favourite Terry Richardson photograph?

Images courtesy of serialoptimist.com, gq.com and kissthemgoodbye.net

**UPDATE: The formerly anonymous model from the Reddit AMA has come forward – her name is Charlotte Waters and she did an interview with Vocativ further detailing her experience with Terry Richardson. Vocativ also has a helpful timeline of Richardson’s perviest antics here.

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