US celebrity photographer, Marcus Hyde, has been accused of using his success in the field of photography to solicit nude photos from models.
Hyde, who has photographed celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, is also known for conducting nude model shoots. He recently put a call out on Instagram asking models if they wanted to participate in a shoot.
LA-based model, Sunnaya Nash, responded via Instagram’s direct messenger on July 21 and Hyde apparently requested a nude photo. Nash agreed to pose nude at the shoot, but refused to send the photographer any naked images.
Hyde responded that since she didn’t send the photo, the shoot would cost the model US$2000. He confirmed it would otherwise be free if she sent him a naked picture.
‘Gotta see if your (sic) worth it,’ he apparently told Nash, later telling her to ‘find someone else’ and ‘he’ll ‘keep shooting celebs’.
Nash took screenshots of the conversation and posted it to Instagram and Twitter, which has not played out well for Hyde’s reputation and career.
Other models have since come forth and shared with their own experiences of Hyde being sexually dodgy and indulging in Terry Richardson-style behaviour, such as pressuring young aspiring models to pose nude, unwanted touching, and overall making women feel ‘super uncomfortable’. Another model said she sent Hyde nude photos and ‘he screen shotted them, then avoided any arrangement to try and shoot’.
Nash has published the written accounts to Instagram and Twitter, blurring the models’ name out for privacy.
Hyde hasn’t responded to the allegations, and deactivated his social media accounts shortly after the story gained traction. He has since had his Instgram account taken down and Kim Kardasian has issued a critical statement.
‘My own experiences have always been professional, and I am deeply shocked, saddened and disappointed to learn that other women have had very different experiences,’ she wrote.
‘I stand in full support of every woman’s right to not be harassed, asked or pressured to do anything they are not comfortable with.’
Some allegations go back many years to a period before Hyde became famous for photographing Kim Kardashian. Between the first allegations and now, Hyde has enjoyed a steady rise to the top, while his apparently sleazy behaviour never led to consequences.
Like Richardson, if the allegations are true, Hyde has abused his position of power in the fashion industry to take advantage of vulnerable young models.
As Inside Imaging has reported in 2018, following accusations against fashion photographers Bruce Weber and Mario Testino, a greater problem exists within the fashion industry is there are no boundaries when selling sex.
But for every Richardson, there’s scores of other successful photographers who seem to be able to manage to keep a lid on it.
Pop singer Ariana Grande published a social media post supporting the models, encouraging them to look out for one another and create a network of safe contacts.
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