The actor claimed he was sexually assaulted by a photographer during his modeling days
Well before he found success as an actor on various TV shows and films, Alan Ritchson got his start in modeling, something he said left him with “scars” due to the “horrific environments” he faced.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the “Reacher” star opened up about his experience working in an industry in which, he claimed, “sexual abuse was the goal,” and how it impacted his mental health moving forward.
“There are very few redeeming qualities to working in [the modeling] industry. Let’s be honest, it’s like legalized sex trafficking,” said Ritchson, who modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch and various catalog projects.
“The industry is not regulated, and it’s a widely known secret that if you’re hired on a job, you’re basically being passed off to a photographer to be trafficked.
The number of times and situations where I was put in horrific environments where sexual abuse was the goal, and the paycheck that you were desperate for in order to survive was the carrot, I can’t count on two hands. It was quite often.”
Alan Ritchson worked as an Abercrombie & Fitch model early in his career. (Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
While the “Blue Mountain State” alum said he often found himself in uncomfortable positions, he acknowledged that it was even worse for women.
“You’re always dancing around this very terrible line of, ‘How do I keep the job and not completely offend this photographer or this agent or whoever set this thing up, and how do I not get raped?’” he said.
“I completely empathize with women who deal with dynamic power struggles with predatory people in the workplace. It’s still unfair, but if I really had to, I could get myself out of whatever room I was in through a physical altercation. Most women don’t have that option. Imagine how terrifying it must be.”
After Ritchson was allegedly sexually assaulted by a “very famous photographer,” he abruptly quit modeling and never returned.
Alan Ritchson said a bad experience made him quit modeling. (Frazer Harrison/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
“I was sent into a hotel room to do nudes with the promise that if I did the shoot, he would offer me a very lucrative campaign for a magazine and a clothing line. I was sexually assaulted by this guy,” he claimed. “I left and drove straight to the agency that I was at in L.A. I stormed in and said, ‘F— you for sending me there.
You knew what was going to happen, and you did it anyway.’ There was a coy smile [on this agent’s face], knowing he got caught. ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Not a big deal, calm down. I won’t send you back there. I know he’s a little aggressive.’”
He continued, “I said, ‘No! F— you!’ I told them to never call me again. I quit the industry and it was the last photo shoot I’ve ever had. Those pictures were never seen or published. That was it. I swore it off, and thank God, acting found me at the exact same time so I was able to make a switch to a new career, but it left some scars.”
Years later, after establishing himself as a successful actor, Ritchson claimed he had found himself in a similar situation while sitting next to well-known industry photographer Mario Testino at the Atelier Versace runway presentation during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture in January 2014.
Alan Ritchson and wife Catherine married in May 2006. (Getty images)
“He wouldn’t keep his hands off me,” Ritchson alleged. “The entire time we were sitting at dinner, he was trying to rub my crotch under the table.
I was like, ‘Get your hands off me, dude. I lived that life with people like you where you feel like you can just have anybody. I’m not an object to you. I’m way past that now, dude.’ But he was entertained by it. He thought it was the funniest thing.”
He continued, “I’m trying to enjoy conversations with the playmakers in the industry, and the whole time, he wouldn’t leave me alone. I ended up leaving early, but he called my hotel room later that night and begged me to come over.
He said, ‘I’ve never googled someone right after meeting them. What have you done to me? My car is out front.’ Then he said he loved manly men ‘because they kick harder.’ He was disappointed that I wouldn’t come to his place.”
Ritchson claimed that Testino had offered him a cover of Vogue if he would sleep with him that night.
Alan Ritchson alleged a photographer tried to grope him under a table. ( Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
“I was like, ‘I don’t give a s— about the cover of Vogue. I don’t give a s— about whatever opportunity you want to dangle in front of me,'” he added.
Testino did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Ritchson said his past eventually put him in a dark place, causing him to attempt suicide in 2019. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder shortly thereafter.
News
Reacher Season 3’s Narrowed Release Window Reportedly Revealed
SUMMARY Reacher season 3 could be released in early 2025. Sticking to a yearly release schedule could help Reacher grow its audience. This is especially true since Reacher has consistently high viewership similar to broadcast TV procedural hits. The release window for Reacher season 3 has…
Reacher season 3 premiere date: A tiny new tease
While there may not be a formal Reacher season 3 premiere date yet at Prime Video, there is something more that we can share! Previously, star Alan Ritchson had shared on Instagram that the action drama would not be back until 2025,…
Nicolas Cage Is ‘Terrified’ of AI and Got Digitally Scanned for Spider-Man Noir: ‘I Don’t Want You to Do Anything’ With My Face and Body ‘When I’m Dead’
Nicolas Cage said in an interview for The New Yorker that he is terrified of AI and is hoping recent body scans he had to do for two upcoming projects aren’t used as reference for AI technology to recreate him on screen after…
Reacher season 3 premiere date: The worst-case scenario?
We know that Reacher season 3 is coming at some point to Prime Video. Not only that, but filming is already done! A great deal of the groundwork has already been laid regarding the show’s future, and there is now just a…
Gods Of Egypt’s Casting Controversy Explained
SUMMARY Whitewashing of Egyptian gods with white actors led to a negative impact on Gods of Egypt. Lack of diversity in casting choices resulted in backlash, poor reviews, and financial failure. Movie’s failure at the box office emphasized the importance…
Gerard Butler disses ‘Free Guy’, Ryan Reynolds generously responds
Ryan Reynolds has offered a response to comments from Gerard Butler about his latest feature, ‘Free Guy’, and his other movies. Earlier this month, the ‘300’ star gave an interview to Unilad promoting it, and he included some scathing comments about Ryan Reynolds’ work….
End of content
No more pages to load