Male Models Accuse Mario Testino and Bruce Weber Of Sexual Misconduct
The latest development has shown that the fashion and modeling industry has not been left out from the Sexual misconduct scandal that rocked Hollywood for most of 2017.
More than a dozen male models and assistants are accusing two of fashion’s most powerful photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber, of sexual misconduct. According to an article by New York Times, several male models alleged that Mario and Bruce made unwanted sexual advances towards them.
Both men have denied the allegations but this has not stopped several fashion magazines from suspending work with them.
Mr Testino, 63, was the man who immortalized the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. He was also the person who photographed When Madonna when she had her first daughter for Vanity Fair. He recently photographed the February cover of Vogue, featuring Serena Williams and her daughter.
Fifteen current and former male models who worked with Bruce Weber, whose racy advertisements for companies like Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch helped turn him into one of the foremost commercial and fine art photographers, have described to The New York Times a pattern of what they said was unnecessary nudity and coercive sexual behavior, often during photo shoots.
The men recalled, with remarkable consistency, private sessions with Mr. Weber in which he asked them to undress and led them through breathing and “energy” exercises. Models were asked to breathe and to touch both themselves and Mr. Weber, moving their hands wherever they felt their “energy.” Often, Mr. Weber guided their hands with his own.
“I remember him putting his fingers in my mouth, and him grabbing my privates,” said the model Robyn Sinclair. “We never had sex or anything, but a lot of things happened. A lot of touching. A lot of molestation.”
In accounts going back to the mid-1990s, 13 male assistants and models who have worked with the photographer Mario Testino, a favorite of the English royal family and Vogue, told The Times that he subjected them to sexual advances that in some cases included groping and masturbation.
The men making the accusations said they had only two choices; agree and be rewarded with lucrative ad campaign work, or reject the approach and risk destroying your career. Two models have also complained about Mario Testino’s behavior in the course of photographing Gucci campaigns in the ’90s.
“If you wanted to work with Mario, you needed to do a nude shoot at the Chateau Marmont,” said Jason Fedele, who appeared in those campaigns. “All the agents knew that this was the thing to excel or advance your career.”
“He was a sexual predator,” said Ryan Locke, who succeeded Mr. Fedele with Gucci.
Mr. Locke said that when he told other models that he was going to meet Mr. Testino, “everyone started making these jokes — they said he was notorious, and ‘tighten your belt.’”
The casting took place at Mr. Testino’s hotel. Instead of greeting Mr. Locke in the lobby, Mr. Testino was in his room, where he opened the door in a loose robe, Mr. Locke said. Then they got into a stalemate about whether the model needed to go fully nude for test pictures.
After Gucci hired Mr. Locke for an ad campaign, Mr. Testino was aggressive and flirtatious throughout, Mr. Locke said. On the last day of the shoot, as they were taking photographs on a bed, Mr. Testino said, “I don’t think he’s feeling it. Everybody out,” Mr. Locke recalled.
“He shuts the door and locks it. Then he crawls on the bed, climbs on top of me and says, ‘I’m the girl, you’re the boy.’ I went at him, like, you better get away. I threw the towel on him, put my clothes on and walked out,” Mr. Locke said.
Hugo Tillman who freelanced as a photo assistant for Mr. Testino in 1996 said Mr. Testino took him and his mother to lunch and told them he wanted to mentor him. Tillman said he really liked Testino and looked up to him. He moved to Paris and began working full time as Mr. Testino’s fourth assistant, and was soon promoted to third.
But, he said, “I was often made to feel uncomfortable on shoots, asked to massage Mario in front of other assistants, models and fashion editors.”
One night after a dinner, Mr. Tillman said the photographer grabbed him on the street and tried to kiss him. A few weeks later, while on a business trip, Mr. Tillman met Mr. Testino in his hotel room. Mr. Testino demanded that the assistant roll him a joint, then threw him down on a bed, climbed on top of him and pinned down his arms, Mr. Tillman said. Mr. Testino’s brother came into the room and made the photographer get off Mr. Tillman.
Lots of other male models and assistants spoke up about the sexual harassment they suffered at the hands of Werber and Testino, while many said they still would not speak publicly.
Representatives for both photographers said they were dismayed and surprised by the allegations.
“I’m completely shocked and saddened by the outrageous claims being made against me, which I absolutely deny,” Mr. Weber said in a statement from his lawyer.
Lavely & Singer, a law firm that represents Mr. Testino, challenged the characters and credibility of people who complained of harassment, and also wrote that it had spoken to several former employees who were “shocked by the allegations” and that those employees “could not confirm any of the claims.”
