I am old enough to be jaded about how power structures work, how they operate when their status quo is challenged. While I appreciated the shift in conversations that came with the Harvey Weinstein scandal, I honestly didn’t think much would come of it beyond “Weinstein being thrown out of Hollywood.” Like, I didn’t think it would have any further reach beyond Harvey Weinstein specifically. But interesting stuff keeps happening – other perverts, abusers and harassers keep getting called out in Hollywood and beyond. And they’re actually losing their jobs.

Last week, we talked about a Women’s Wear Daily article in which four male advertising executives talked about harassment and abuse within the fashion industry. It was an eye-opening piece, mostly because the men who have so much power really don’t want to see harassment and abuse, so they ignore it. Terry Richardson’s name cropped up within the conversation, and seeing as how he’s a known pervert, abuser and sexual predator, it seemed like the time was ripe for someone to actually do something about Richardson. Well, guess what? They’re actually doing something about him.

Terry Richardson, the fashion photographer, has been barred from working with some of the world’s bestselling magazines, The Daily Telegraph can reveal. An email circulated within the media group Condé Nast International on Monday and seen by this newspaper announced that the company would no longer work with him. Staff were told that any work already commissioned from Mr Richardson but not yet published should be “killed or substituted with other material”.

The company publishes international editions of leading fashion magazines such as Vogue, GQ and Glamour as well as other well-known titles including Vanity Fair and Wired. Mr Richardson, whose photographs often grace the covers of fashion magazines and are known in the industry for being sexually explicit, has been dogged for years by allegations of sexual exploitation of models, something he has always denied.

At the weekend, a UK newspaper asked why the 52-year-old was still being “feted by fashionistas” in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations. Mr Richardson’s contract arrangements had been in dispute for some time with Condé Nast International, but within 24 hours of the article appearing an email was circulated telling staff not to work with him.

The message was sent by James Woolhouse, the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, to “country presidents” at the firm at 8.14am on Monday. Mr Woolhouse wrote: “I am writing to you on an important matter. 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.”

[From The Telegraph]

I don’t remember the last time Richardson has even done editorial work for Vogue or straight-up fashion magazines, but he consistently gets work with men’s magazines like GQ, and he is closely associated with Rolling Stone too. Will Rolling Stone ban him next? I hope so. While Richardson should be widely banned by publications for his mistreatment of models, can I also say that he should be shunned for being a sh-tty photographer? He’s not a good photographer. His “thing” is just putting girls in bikinis in front of a white background and getting them to make “sexy faces.” It’s not really innovative.

Photos courtesy of WENN.