Fashion photographer Terry Richardson has been dropped by magazines including Vogue, GQ, Glamour and Vanity Fair, despite denying allegations about his treatment of models.
The media group Conde Nast International has ceased working with Richardson, who is known for his sexually explicit pictures in which he frequently appears.
An email circulated around the company, and seen by the Daily Telegraph, announced that any work by Richardson that had not yet been published would be “killed or substituted with other material”.
Conde Nast International publishes 143 editions of magazines such as Vogue, GQ and Glamour as well Vanity Fair, Wired and Conde Nast Traveller.
The email, reportedly sent by executive vice president and chief operating officer James Woolhouse, to “country presidents”, said: “I am writing to you on an important matter. Conde Nast would like to no longer work with the photographer Terry Richardson.
“Any shoots that have been commission[ed] or any shoots that have been completed but not yet published, should be killed and substituted with other material.
“Please could you confirm that this policy will be actioned in your market effective immediately. Thank you for your support in this matter.”
Richardson is well known for his photographs of stars including Beyonce, Rihanna and Lady Gaga, and has directed videos for musicians including the notorious Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball film, in which the former child star appeared naked.
Allegations about his conduct over the years have resurfaced in recent days in the wake of harassment and assault claims made about movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
Richardson addressed the rumours in a blog on the Huffington Post in 2014, writing: “I collaborated with consenting adult women who were fully aware of the nature of the work, and as is typical with any project, everyone signed releases.
“I have never used an offer of work or a threat of rebuke to coerce someone into something that they did not want to do.
“I give everyone that I work with enough respect to view them as having ownership of their free will and making their decisions accordingly, and as such, it has been difficult to see myself as a target of revisionist history.”
A spokeswoman for the media company said: “I can confirm that Conde Nast International won’t be releasing any comment about this.”
A spokeswoman for Richardson did not respond to a request for comment.
Claims about sexual exploitation generally across the modelling industry are increasingly common
Models Cameron Russell and Edie Campbell have been sharing anonymous stories of harassment on their Instagram pages using the hashtag #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse.
Next to one post from an anonymous model, Russell wrote: “She has asked to remain anonymous but asked that I share her words here because the photographer still works in the industry. She wants to encourage other women to speak up.
“We need a way to begin breaking the silence while remaining protected. We are not talking about one, five, or even twenty men. We are talking about a culture of exploitation and it must stop.”
Model Christy Turlington previously told US industry magazine WWD that harassment of photographic models is tolerated in fashion.
She said: “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry.
“The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experienced at some point in our careers.”
