Fashion Photographer Terry Richardson, Facing Sexual Harassment Claims, Once Photographed Barack Obama

Following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, famous fashion photographer Terry Richardson was fired from top magazines such as Vogue and GQ on Monday.

Richardson has been accused of forcing women to have sex with him when they worked with him in the past. Even though the allegations have been pouring in for the past three years, they have not had any major effect on the photographer’s career. Richardson went on to work with celebrity clients in the industry, after denying several testimonies of sexual harassment from women whom he had collaborated with.

"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," Richardson wrote in a 2014 article on the Huffington Post titled “Correcting the Rumors.” “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.”

Although Richardson is more well-known for his explicit fashion photography that many critics claimed verged on pornography, a former world leader made his way in front of his camera lens causing quite a buzz back in 2007 — President Barack Obama.

Obama was an Illinois senator at the time, seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he agreed to pose for a “portrait session” in his U.S. Senate office for Terry Richardson. A series of candid photos shot by Richardson of Obama appeared in September 2007 issue of Vibe magazine. Apart from appearing on the cover of the magazine, a smiling Obama was seen shaking hands with the photographer in one of the pictures.

In an Aug. 8, 2007, interview with National Public Radio, Vibe editor Danyel Smith explained that Obama representing the face of their upcoming issue was dream come true for them.

“And so we just started thinking, what about Obama?” Smith said. “What does he mean to our readership? And we just said we were going to go for it. We didn't know if we could get it if he'd be interested in it. But it was when we got the interview we were really excited. But when we got the portrait session, that's when we were pretty much jumping up and down. And it's been a fantastic experience.”

Vibe was also incidentally the magazine where Richardson had his first break as a professional photographer in 1994, Highsnobiety reported. He went on to work for publications such as Arena, The Face, and i-D. In 1995, he shot his first advertising campaign for British fashion designer Katharine Hamnett. After a couple of years, Richardson started working for Vogue.

Richardson was barred from working with the fashion magazines after an article in the London Times on Sunday questioned why the 52-year-old was still being “feted by fashionistas” after many celebrities came forward with personal experiences regarding sexual harassment in the wake of Harvey Weinstein revelations.

James Woolhouse, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Condé Nast International, the parent company which publishes editions of magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Glamour, sent an email on Monday to his staff informing them to terminate all future work contracts with Richardson.

“I am writing to you on an important matter,” Woolhouse wrote. “Condé 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.”

A spokesman for Richardson has denied all claims of sexual misconduct against the photographer, telling the Telegraph last week: “You are basing a story off of random comments on Instagram and old stories that have already been addressed. Terry is an artist who is known for his sexually explicit work and all of the subjects of his work participated consensually.”