It is fast becoming a trend for celebrities and key figures to be accused of Sexual assault. Just recently, Fashion photographer and director Bruce Weber has been accused of sexual assault by two male models who reported that Weber pressured them to take off their clothes and to touch their own genitals during photo shoots.
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker that is mostly known for his ad campaigns for Ralph Laren, Pirelli, Revlon, Calvin Klein, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Gianni.
Lisa Bloom who is the attorney for the model Jason Boyce stood side by side with the model in a press conference were Jason made a statement stating that Weber violated New York employment law by sexually harassing him, discriminating against him on the basis of gender, and causing him to suffer humiliation, emotional anguish and the loss of his modeling career in New York.
It appears Jason is not the only model who has experienced this with the photographer, as Blom who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Boyce, also introduced another male model Mark Ricketson, who made claims of similar treatment from Weber.
According to the duo, the photographer had asked them to take their clothes off and touch themselves during a photo shoot session, “He grabbed my arm and moved it back and forth, so I was forced to rub myself, he then took my hand and put it over his genitals.” Boyce went ahead to describe the experience and how it affected him “The entire experience was terrifying and humiliating, I have suffered from depression and anxiety as a result of my photo shoot with Bruce Weber, and want this behavior to end now. I filed this lawsuit to show that this kind of abuse is wrong, and to hopefully stop it from happening to more of us.”
This same experience was recounted by Ricketson who said 13 years ago, Weber had similarly guided his hand to touch his genitals . it all appears this is a season for models and actors to speak up against sexual abuse in the industry.
While all this is taking place, we hope we do not lose all our favorite stars to sexual assaults as it would mean the industry can not be free of such and creatives were never safe and have no footsteps to follow.
