Rita Ora Would Have 'Rethought' Working With Terry Richardson If She'd Known About Allegations, She Says

Following news that fashion photographer Terry Richardson has been barred from working with brands owned by Condé Nast, singer Rita Ora opened up this week about working with the controversial photographer in the past and said she would have reconsidered her decision to collaborate with him if she’d known about allegations of sexual misconduct.

The “Body on Me” singer collaborated with Richardson on a photo shoot last year for French magazine Lui in which she posed topless. Speaking with the Guardian for an interview published Tuesday, Ora said: “If I was aware of any of the accusations against Terry I would of course have rethought my decision.”

But Ora said she did not have any issues with Richardson herself and instead spoke highly of her experience.

“I loved his collection of photography, I loved his book with Lady Gaga, the shoot was my choice and it was totally my suggestion,” she said. “I can only talk about my experience of working with him: it was a relaxed day and I had the time of my life. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the accusations.”

Richardson was banned this week from working with several major fashion magazines in a decision that seems in part to be related to the recent fallout from sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein and several other influential men in other industries. Allegations of sexual exploitation by Richardson on his shoots have been reported since as far back as 2010.

Condé Nast’s decision to bar Richardson’s work from working with its magazines was announced this week in a company-wide email sent by ‎the publisher’s Executive Vice President James Woolhouse.

“I am writing to you on an important matter. Condé Nast would like to no longer work with the photographer Terry Richardson,” Woolhouse said. “Any shoots that have been [commissioned] or any shoots that have been completed but not yet published, should be killed and substituted with other material.”

While Richardson did not deny that any sexual conduct occurred on his shoots, he did assert that “all of the subjects of his work participated consensually.”

“Terry is disappointed to hear about this email especially because he has previously addressed these old stories, a representative for Richardson said in a statement. “He is an artist who has been known for his sexually explicit work so many of his professional interactions with subjects were sexual and explicit in nature but all of the subjects of his work participated consensually.”