Controversial figure Terry Richardson covers the latest issue of New York Magazine for a feature which is titled “The Perverse Case of Terry Richardson”. By now, you may have heard about all the rumors and scandal surrounding the American photographer. Online, multiple women have claimed that have been allegedly sexually assaulted or in the very least sexually harassed by Richardson.
For his defense, the frequent Harper’s Bazaar photographer said that any sexual acts while working with models were consensual in an open letter earlier this year. In the New York article, he elaborates on the consensual part, saying, “It was always assistants, or other people around, or girls brought friends over to hang out.” And even with his more provocative photographs he says, “When I was taking those pictures..I was very, like, ‘Cool, sounds great, let’s do it, great, okay, sure, great, cool, if not, no problem, never do anything you don’t want to do, of course, I totally respect that.
However, the feature does question just how consensual an act may be when a top photographer expects a young model to perform a sexual act on set. A photography agent says, “These girls are told by agents how important he is, and then they show up and it’s a bait and switch. This guy and his friends are literally like, ‘Grab my boner.’ Is this girl going to say no? And go back to the village?”
When pushed for whether he regrets his work with all the scandal. Richardson responds, “I don’t have any regrets about the work at all…but obviously I don’t ever want someone to feel like that. It was never my intention. But also, people do things, and then they have regrets, and that’s also nothing to do with me. Then don’t do pictures like that again…I’m okay with myself about everything, and that to me is the most important thing.”
You can read more of the feature on NYMag.com and share your thoughts below.