Instagram disables account of celebrity photographer amid sexual misconduct allegations

Instagram staffers have disabled the account of a celebrity photographer accused of predatory behavior by multiple women.

Marcus Hyde, a photographer who has worked with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian as well as Ariana Grande and Chance the Rapper, saw his Instagram account shut down on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the site told BuzzFeed.

{mosads}A spokesperson for Instagram told BuzzFeed that Hyde’s two accounts were shut down for “violating our sexual solicitation policies” after Hyde appeared in screenshots of direct messages with a 20-year-old model asking her for nudes in exchange for a photo shoot.

Hyde allegedly told the model, Sunnaya Nash, that he needed to see nude photos of her up front if he was going to accept a deal to provide Nash with a free nude photo shoot at a later time. “Gotta see if your worth it,” he texted Nash, according to BuzzFeed.

Nash’s own posts revealing the conflict were taken down by Instagram as well, she told BuzzFeed, adding that the posts triggered warnings about violating policies on “nudity or sexual activity” and “bullying or harassment.”

Hyde made his Instagram profile private on Sunday before it was taken down. He has not addressed the allegations.

“I had no idea it would receive this much attention,” Nash told BuzzFeed in a previous interview about her messages with Hyde. “I’m thankful that it did because so many girls dm’d me sharing their stories.”

Ariana Grande addressed the controversy in her own Instagram story, urging models to avoid predatory photographers.

“I have just read some shocking and really heartbreaking stories. i hate that this is a conversation. but. please do not shoot with photographers who make you uncomfortable or make you feel like you need to take your clothing off if you don’t want to. if you want to, sick. but if you don’t, please don’t,” she wrote.

“If they tell you you have to pay more money if you’re clothed that’s —-ed and i’m sorry that has happened to you. i promise there are so many respectful, nice, talented photographers out there,” she added.