Celebrity photographer Terry Richardson is being accused of exchanging sex for work, according to the New York Daily News.
Emma Appleton, a British model, is claiming that Richardson offered her the opportunity to pose for Vogue Magazine in exchange for sex. She claimed that Richardson made the offer through Facebook on Sunday. Appleton posted a screenshot of the private message from the famous photographer to Twitter and Instagram.
"If I can f--k you I will book you in (New York) for a shoot for Vogue," the message read, according to the Daily News.
However, Candice Marks, a spokesperson for Richardson said that the account was fake and denied her client's involvement. After uploading the screen shot, Appleton received harsh comments from social media users -- many questioning whether the message was real. She later deleted her entire account and remove the photo off of her Instagram page.
In response to the backlash, Appleton wrote: "This industry is f--ked up. I've been modeling for 5 years and I've never had this before, it doesn't make it okay. "
Despite the removal, Vogue has confirmed that Richardson will no longer be working for the magazine after the recent allegations. The magazine released a statement after Appleton's alleged conversation with Richardson.
"The last assignment Terry Richardson had for US Vogue appeared in the July 2010 issue and we have no plans to work with him in the future," Hildy Kuryk, communications director for US Vogue said.
There has been several allegations against Richardson claiming he has engaged with inappropriate sexual acts with models during his photo shoots, but has never been charged or convicted of any crimes. The photographer released a statement about the allegations against him titled "Correcting the Rumors."
"People will always have strong opinions about challenging images, and the dichotomy of sex is that it is both the most natural and universal of human behaviors and also one of the most sensitive and divisive," Richardson wrote, according to the Huffington Post. "Over the course of my career, I have come to accept that some of my more provocative work courts controversy, and as an artist, I value the discourse that arises from this. I can only hope for this discourse to be informed by fact, so that whether you love my work or hate it, you give it, and me, the benefit of the truth."
