Whether or not you’ve heard his name, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the work of ubiquitous fashion photographer Terry Richardson. His frequently hyper-sexual, disturbingly pubescent photographs have been featured on the cover of almost every major fashion magazine of note, from GQ to Rolling Stone to Vogue—and he’s also the man behind music videos like Miley’s “Wrecking Ball” and Lady Gaga’s “Do What You Want.” Indeed, getting your picture taken by Richardson has become almost a rite of passage for American celebrities. And it’s all happened despite his long history of very serious allegations from models about his inappropriate behavior, which include everything from forcing his subjects into sexual poses to lewd acts on set.
Over the weekend, another allegation surfaced from model Emma Appleton, who tweeted a screenshot from her phone of an alleged message from Richardson, offering to trade her a spread in Vogue for sex. Richardson has flat-out denied that he sent the message (his denials have not always been so explicit) and Appleton later tweeted that she was “beginning to wish I hadn’t posted that… it doesn’t matter who you are or what the industry is, just be a decent human being.” She then deleted her account, so the veracity of the message remains in question. Nevertheless, Vogue has announced that it won’t be working with Richardson anymore …
