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| Jason Boyce has accused photog Bruce Weber of sexual misconduct (image via Instagram) |
Celebrated fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, has been under attack for the past year fighting a slew of sexual misconduct accusations by over 20 male models.
One of those models, Jason Boyce, filed a lawsuit against the photographer last year alleging inappropriate sexual behavior during a 2014 photo shoot.
The Los Angeles Times reported at the time of the lawsuit:
The complaint alleges that Weber grabbed Boyce and kissed him on the lips. It also states, “Weber put his fingers in Mr. Boyce’s mouth. Shocked, Mr. Boyce opened his eyes. Mr. Weber told him to keep his eyes closed, and kept his fingers in Mr. Boyce’s mouth. ‘If you just had confidence, you’d go really far,’ Mr. Weber whispered. ‘How far do you want to make it? How ambitious are you?’ Mr. Boyce did not respond.”
Then, in December, five additional models filed a lawsuit according to The New York Times. The new filing labels Weber a “serial sexual predator” alleging he touched the men while leading ‘breathing exercises’ during photo shoots, and insinuated he could help their careers if they complied.
Weber’s lawyer, Jayne Weintraub, issued a statement to The New York Times that called the new allegations against the 72-year-old “outrageous.”
“Bruce Weber has never lured, recruited, or forced anyone to do anything and has never inappropriately touched a model,” wrote Weintraub in an email. “This lawsuit is nothing more than a media-hungry lawyer’s attempt to extort Mr. Weber with false, fictitious and legally frivolous claims. We are confident that Mr. Weber will prevail against these false allegations; not just with words, but with evidence in a court of law.”
Weintraub and Weber are now asking that Boyce’s lawsuit be dismissed, and have submitted with their filing several racy pics and text messages they say Boyce sent to Weber before and after the 2014 photo shoot in question.
Via The Daily Mail:
“It has been over a year since Plaintiff, an unsuccessful 32-year old male model, filed his complaint containing false and salacious allegations that Mr. Weber, an internationally acclaimed fashion photographer, inappropriately touched him during a brief photo shoot in 2014.”
“Since then, Plaintiff has refused to provide required discovery and failed to identify any evidence to support his claims, because his claims are false. Nonetheless, now, almost one year later, Plaintiff is ‘doubling down’ on his false claims’ charade, by seeking leave to amend and assert a claim against Mr. Weber under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.”
The new filing says Boyce “repeatedly texted pictures of himself to Mr. Weber in provocative poses, both prior to and after the brief photo shoot, demonstrating that Plaintiff was soliciting Mr. Weber, not the other way around.”
“Similarly, Plaintiff’s allegation that he was so horrified at the thought of running into Mr. Weber that he fled New York and sought refuge in California, cannot be reconciled with the provocative and solicitous texts that Plaintiff sent to Mr. Weber over the next several months,” added Weintraub.
Over decades of work, Weber has shot enormously successful photo campaigns for companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Louis Vuitton and Versace.
Boyce currently lists his employment as a fitness coach on his Instagram.
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