Former Richmond-based fashion photographer Marcus Hyde is in the news lately for the wrong reasons.
The Manchester High School graduate whose fashion photography has been featured in RVA Magazine relocated years ago to Los Angeles and was handpicked by reality television star Kim Kardashian to be one of her personal photographers. Hyde was a former production assistant at WTVR CBS 6, according to a story they did on him last year.
Hyde, who was nearly killed in a car accident last year, has been accused of allegedly offering free photo services to a female model if she sent him nude photos of herself. The New York Post’s Page Six reported on Monday that the Los Angeles-based model Sunnaya posted screenshots of alleged direct messages between herself and Hyde, wherein he said that if the model sent him nude photos, she would receive free photography services worth $2,000.
According to The Post: “Sunnaya wrote over the first screenshot, ‘Male photographers be like,’ and over a subsequent screenshot she wrote, “Ur f–king wack.” Hyde, 33, allegedly responded, ‘Find someone else. I’ll keep shooting celebs.’ Sunnaya’s friends and followers backed her up by reposting the alleged exchange, which ultimately caused Hyde to allegedly respond to one fan, telling her, ‘Suck a fat big d–k.’”
Since the story broke, another of Hyde’s famous clients, singer Ariana Grande, has dropped him, according to E! Online news. Hyde has since made his Instagram account private and the New York Post reported that he was not responding to media requests.
After his accident last year, Kanye West and Kardashian donated $25,000 to pay for Hyde’s medical expenses. Style has reached out to a former local colleague of Hyde’s and will update as we learn more.