Valentino executives will no longer work with photographer Terry Richardson.
The controversial photographer is in the spotlight once again after longstanding sexual assault allegations made against him by several models have resurfaced in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Richardson has been accused of coercing young female models into exploitative and compromising positions, and into pretending to perform sex acts on him in allegations dating back to 2001.
However, the 52-year-old has continued to work with titles including V Magazine, GQ and Dazed, and brands such as Versace and Supreme.
On Tuesday (24Oct17), a Valentino spokesperson confirmed that the brand would follow in the footsteps of Conde Nast and Bulgari, by no longer working with Richardson.
“Valentino’s last campaign with photographer Terry Richardson was shot in July 2017 – there are no plans on a future campaign and of course (we) take these allegations against Terry Richardson seriously,” a spokesperson shared in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter.
Richardson was at the helm of Valentino’s resort 2018 campaign, with images unveiled on the Italian fashion house’s Instagram account last week. Credits of the photographer’s name have since been removed following the online backlash, according to The Cut.
The news comes after Conde Nast, the publisher of magazines including Vogue and Vanity Fair, informed staff it would no longer work with the snapper – who is famous for his editorial work and photoshoots with celebrities including Lady Gaga, Kate Upton, and Beyonce.
According to editors at British newspaper The Telegraph, Conde Nast International’s chief executive vice president and chief operating officer, James Woolhouse, sent an internal email stating, “Conde Nast would like to no longer work with the photographer Terry Richardson,” and added that any work already commissioned by the photographer should be “killed or substituted with other material.”
In response to the backlash, a representative for Richardson told Buzzfeed News: “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.”
