Famed photographer Bruce Weber is fighting back at one of the male models who accused him of him of sexual harassment during a photo shoot, and believes the man is trying to take advantage of the #MeToo era for a “hefty settlement.”
Weber, who has famously shot for Calvin Klein and other top fashion brands, filed documents on January 2 in New York addressing the allegations made by model, Jason Boyce.
The photographer’s lawyer explains, “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.”
Weber claims that since the initial lawsuit and allegations, Boyce has refused to provide discovery and allegedly failed to identify any evidence to support his claims. Weber’s legal team believes he is unable to produce evidence, because his “claims are false.”
The documents describe Boyce as a “failed model who (falsely) claims to have been inappropriately touched during a brief photo shoot,” and that they believe his accusations are nothing more than an “attempt to increase public pressure on him from false allegations in the #MeToo era to extort a hefty settlement.”
Weber says he refuses to let Boyce take advantage of him, and believes the evidence will show Boyce and his agent were the ones who relentlessly pursued him for a photography session. The document alleges, “Mr. Weber gave in to the pestering as a goodwill accommodation to Plaintiff’s agent, who was trying to help a model whose career was not going.”
They have also included text messages which they believe prove that Boyce was still contacting Weber after the alleged assault occurred.
Weber says the lawsuit has caused damage to his family, business and life. He also takes issue with the comparisons of his case to those against Harvey Weinstein, claiming the two are not even in the same ballpark. He wants the entire case thrown out.
The Blast first broke the story regarding the lawsuit against Weber. Last year, Jason Boyce sued Weber claiming he scheduled a shoot with the famed photographer, but alleges he was sexually assaulted by Weber, including being forced to grope the man’s genitals.
Boyce later sued Weber, his former agent and former agency for sexual harassment. Recently, another lawsuit was filed against Weber five male models who claim they were also sexually exploited by the photographer.
He has not filed a response in that case, but a statement from Weber’s legal team at the time said, “These new allegations against Bruce Weber are outrageous. Bruce Weber has never lured, recruited, or forced anyone to do anything and has never inappropriately touched a model.”
