Alan Ritchson, best known for his work on the Amazon Prime Video show “Reacher,” revealed that he was sexually assaulted by a well-known photographer during his time as a model, which led him to leave the industry completely.
Before moving into film and later television, Ritchson worked as a model, where he was one of the highest-paid at his agency. However, he didn't mention any names when he shared that he had a bad experience with a famous photographer, whose job included doing nude photos. He was promised a lucrative campaign with a magazine and clothing line in return for these photos, but that didn't happen. THR “I was sexually assaulted by this guy. I left and drove straight to the agency that I was at in L.A. I stormed in and said, ‘F–k you for sending me there. You knew what was going to happen, and you did it anyway,'” Ritchson recalled. The star said that his agent, whom he did not name, wasn’t surprised about what happened.
“I left the industry after that and it was my last photo shoot. Those pictures were never seen or published. That was it,” Ritchson continued. “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.”
In the interview, Ritchson also spoke about the darker side of modeling, highlighting the lack of positive aspects and describing it as “legalized sex trafficking.” He acknowledged that he, being physically strong, could usually remove himself from dangerous situations, but that wasn’t always the case for female models.
“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,” Ritchson said. “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.”
In the same interview, the actor also talked about his suicide attempt as well as his diagnosis of bipolar and ADHD.
Ritchson's acting debut was as Aquaman in The CW’s “Smallville.” He has also appeared in shows like Spike TV’s “Blue Mountain State” and HBO Max’s DC series “Titans,” and he has been in major movies like “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Fast X.” His role in Prime Video’s “Reacher” has elevated his career, and he now has a deal with Amazon to create and star in projects for the platform.
“Reacher” is currently in production on a third season.
“Let’s be honest, it’s like legalized sex trafficking,” the actor-producer star says
