Mario Testino has been accused of sexual assault and harassment. In accounts dating back to the 90s, 13 male models and assistants of the famed photographer detailed their alleged experiences of sexual exploitation in a New York Times expose.
Testino is known for working with numerous luxury titles, as well as being the royal family's long-standing photographer.The photographer has denied the claims. His legal team, Lavely & Singer, challenged the 'characters and credibility' of those who have made the claims, adding that they 'cannot be considered reliable sources'.
The lawyers also said that former employees were 'shocked by the allegations' and 'could not confirm any of the claims'.The NYT investigation also accused Bruce Weber of sexual exploitation, after 15 current and former male models came forward with their stories of misconduct.
Weber, who has shot campaigns for the likes of Calvin Klein and Versace, was first sued in December for sexual harassment - an allegation he denied. He has also refuted the most recent claims made against him. 'I'm completely shocked and saddened by the outrageous claims being made against me, which I absolutely deny,' Weber said in a statement from his lawyer.
In a public statement, US Vogue editor Anna Wintour described the allegations as 'heartbreaking'. While she described both Testino and Weber as 'personal friends of mine who have both made extraordinary contributions to Vogue', she also said that she takes 'the allegations very seriously, and we at Condé Nast have decided to put our working relationship with both photographers on hold for the foreseeable future'.
