Mario Testino And Bruce Weber Accused Of Abuse

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

For decades he has been the favorite photographer of Vogue magazine, through his lens all members of the European royal houses have passed, especially the English, and his photographs have hung on the walls of the most prestigious art museums in the world. Mario Testino's stellar career may have come to an end after the New York Times published allegations of sexual abuse by more than 13 male models and assistants who have worked with him.

Jason Fedele and Ryan Lockte, two models who posed for him in various Gucci campaigns in the 90s, assure in this report that the Peruvian photographer had a great reputation as a "sexual predator" in the panorama and that other colleagues warned them. Others have even gone as far as to state that Testino touched and masturbated in his presence.

"If you wanted to work with Mario Testino you had to do a nude photo shoot at his hotel," says Fedele.

Lockte goes further and recounts in detail an experience he had at that same hotel after he asked the entire team to leave them alone. “He locked the door. Then he got on the bed, got on top of me and said "I am the girl, you are the boy." […] I threw the towel at him, put on my clothes and got out of there,”he recalls.

Several assistants who worked with him at that time have stated that the photographer had a habit of hiring very young, straight male models and subjecting them to aggressive sexual advances. One of them, Roman Barrett, even claims that he rubbed his leg against him and masturbated.

"Sexual harassment was a constant reality," he says.

Another photographer who has been accused in this same report from the New York Times is Bruce Weber, undoubtedly one of the most famous and successful in the world of fashion who became famous for photographing the supermodels of the 90s and the sexiest campaigns of firms like Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch.

According to the New York newspaper, both Testino and Brewer have claimed to feel "shocked and surprised" by the accusations and have denied the facts through their lawyers and representatives.

The first reactions were swift and several publications, such as GQ, Vanity Fair and Vogue have confirmed that they will not work with either of them. The director of Vogue and personal friend of both photographers, Anna Wintour, has published a statement in which she assures that it has been very hard to face these accusations.

"I firmly believe in repentance and forgiveness, but I also take these statements very seriously and at Condé Nast we have decided to suspend our relationship with the two photographers for the time being."