'Reacher' Star Alan Ritchson Says 'Very Famous Photographer' Sexually Assaulted Him
HuffPost
The 41-year-old revealed that he immediately quit modeling after the incident, which led to an "existential crisis" and a suicide attempt.
Alan Ritchson is opening up for the first time about being sexually assaulted.
Before he became an actor, the “Reacher” star told The Hollywood Reporter, he worked as a model for brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Calvin Klein. During this time, he said he was sexually assaulted by a “very famous photographer” in Los Angeles.
“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,” he told the outlet. “I was sexually assaulted by this guy. I left and drove straight to the agency that I was at.”
“I stormed in and said, ‘Fuck you for sending me there. You knew what was going to happen, and you did it anyway,’” added Ritchson. “There was a coy smile [on the agent’s face], knowing he got caught. ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Not a big deal, calm down.’”
The agent purportedly told Ritchson he wouldn’t be sent “back there” and nonchalantly admitted the photographer “can get a little aggressive.” Despite being “one of the highest paid models at the agency,” Ritchson said he quit and never looked back.