A photographer who was shamed on social media for charging plus-sized models $100 more than thinner women for portfolio shoots is suing for defamation.
Brooklyn-based William Lords, who charges $950 for ‘standard’ and $1,050 for ‘plus/curve’ models, was labeled fatphobic by model Sixtine Rouyre and her agent Megan Mesveskas.
Mesveskas shared Lords’ price list on Instagram and TikTok and claimed that he collects more money from bigger models because he ‘doesn’t want to have to look at them through his camera’.
Rouyre, 24, who has 43-inch hips and is five-foot-seven, then shared Mesveskas’ complaints on her TikTok, which has about 591,000 followers.
‘This is just one more example of how awful the modeling industry is to literally anyone over a size zero,’ Rouyre .
‘Like, how does this make any f***ing sense? How does it make sense to charge more because the person standing in front of you that you’re taking photos of is bigger? Tell me how the f*** that makes sense, William.’
Rouyre added: ‘Fatphobia is showing, it’s f***ing disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself’.
Meanwhile, Lords said that designer outfits he sources for plus-sized models cost more and are more difficult to find. He has filed a $1.5million lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court stating he has received ‘countless threatening, offensive and shaming emails from individuals’ who have an ‘evil opinion of him’ due to Rouyre and Mesveskas’ criticism.
‘Lords is not disgusted by the appearance of plus size models and he does not discriminate against plus size models,’ he wrote in court documents.
‘While it is relatively easy to source designer clothes for standard size models, finding designer clothes for plus sized models is significantly more difficult and costly.’
Rouyre and Mesveskas have not commented publicly on the lawsuit. Their lawyer Joshua Blum called Lords’ suit ‘a desperate and transparent attempt to chill exercise of their constitutional right to free speech’, according to the.
‘My clients will not be intimidated or bullied by Mr Lords’ baseless lawsuit; nor will they be silenced by his improper exploitation of the legal system,’ Blum stated. ‘We look forward to having Mr Lords’ frivolous claims summarily dismissed by the court.’
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