In the days after Hollywood began to reckon with the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, women in different industries came out with their own stories of sexual harassment and assault. Model Cameron Russell helped add to that group’s startling numbers when she posted a screenshot on Instagram of an anonymous model’s account of sexual assault. She continued posting screenshots of other anonymous stories she was receiving to her account as they came.
With over 45 stories and counting, models (both women and men) anonymously recounted instances of photographers asking for oral sex, masturbating in front of them, forcing models to take their clothes off, touching models inappropriately and more. “I felt uncool or a prude if I didn’t respond in a ‘oh it’s art’ kind of way,” one model wrote. “But I felt violated and angry.” Some models allege that their agencies did not care when they reported photographer behavior.
And while it’s not surprising that modeling is a profession plagued by sexual harassment (look no further than the work of Terry Richardson, who still has a successful career in spite of allegations against him) reading the stories all together on the same page is damning and a reminder that Weinstein-level behavior has existed, in the open, in fashion for decades.