Perched on a porch, a pair of rocking chairs invites you to pause and take in the quintessential charm of this home. The front door, a striking shade of red, is complemented by storm shutters guarding the windows, while a white picket fence encloses the meticulously maintained yard. This clapboard house, nestled in a tranquil corner of upstate New York, could easily be the embodiment of the idyllic American countryside.
However, the contrast between this serene setting and the tumultuous world its current, notorious owner once inhabited is nothing short of astonishing.
As revealed by the Daily Mail, this picturesque retreat belongs to Terry Richardson, a decade after his illustrious career as a leading fashion photographer was dismantled following allegations of sexual assault, predatory conduct, and mistreatment of his subjects.
Once part of the glittering scene known as ‘Terryworld’ centered around his Manhattan studio, Richardson now resides in this colonial farmhouse-style mansion. The property features a swimming pool and is set amid expansive rolling hills, with a solitary SUV parked in the driveway.
Richardson, whose tattoos declare “Fight Back” and “Don’t Panic,” appeared to have little fight left when the Daily Mail captured him in town. Dressed in a simple brown t-shirt and beige slacks, he was seen casually picking up a bag of chips at a local grocery store.
At the peak of his career, he commanded a daily rate of $160,000. His work regularly appeared on the covers of glossies like Harpers Bazaar and GQ. He shot Barack Obama and Lady Gaga, made videos for Beyonce and put Miley Cyrus naked on that Wrecking Ball in a video that was viewed more than 665 million times.
He was, by his own admission, a ‘proud pervert’ whose work often crossed the line from sexually charged to downright explicit. He eschewed make-up and retouching, preferring a more ‘real’ aesthetic. Which is where the trouble crept in.
In 2017, he married his glamorous assistant, Alex ‘Skinny’ Bolotow. That same year, multiple models came forward to accuse him of taking the concept of ‘real’ much too far. His sets weren’t just sexually charged, they alleged, they were the site of sexual assaults where the photographer traded sexual acts for the privilege of being photographed by him.
The Daily Mail can reveal the bolthole to which Terry Richardson has retreated
It’s been a decade since his storied career as one of the most iconic photographers in fashion was shredded amid allegations of sexual assault
‘Terryworld’ now comprises this colonial farmhouse-style mansion with a swimming pool set on acres of rolling hills
Among Richardson’s accusers were designer Lindsay Jones, who claimed he forced her to perform oral sex on him at his Manhattan studio in 2007, while ex-model Caron Bernstein alleged that he assaulted her in 2003.
Model Jamie Peck claimed she felt like she had to give Richardson a hand job in 2004 due to his position of power, while Charlotte Waters claimed he treated her like a ‘sex puppet’ in 2009.
The allegations prompted news site Jezebel to dub him ‘the world’s most f***ed up fashion photographer,’ while the Guardian described him as ‘fashion’s shameful secret.’
Richardson has always emphatically denied any wrongdoing. He said he was never alone on sets with girls – there were always editors and stylists, a team, present. And he was neither charged with nor convicted of any crimes. But the damage to his reputation was done.
Suddenly, his transgressive portfolio – one of his earliest exhibitions featured a 4ft by 6ft image of Richardson with his face covered in semen – once seen as a liberating exploration of sexuality, came to be viewed by some as a disturbing tranche of sleaze.
Publishers who spotlighted his work and luxury brands who employed him promptly dropped him. He was cancelled.
He and Bolotow disappeared from the spotlight and the city – 120 miles north to this sprawling estate in Bearsville, a hamlet in the town of Woodstock. There, they became parents to twins, Rex and Roman, and perhaps anticipated a second act of settled domesticity.
If so, it didn’t quite work out as planned. The Daily Mail has learned that Richardson and Bolotow are no longer together. They divorced in 2024 but were, according to locals with whom we spoke, ‘living separately’ long before that.
Bolotow resides less than a mile away, in a turquoise clapboard property with their twins, who are now ten years old.
He was seen slouching around town wearing a plain brown t-shirt with beige slacks as he grabbed a bag of chips from the grocery store
His transgressive portfolio was once seen as a liberating exploration of sexuality
After allegations surfaced, Richardson left ‘Terryworld’ – as his dazzling circle with his Manhattan studio was once known – and retreated 120 miles north
When approached by the Daily Mail, Bolotow, cradling a hairless dog named Henry that she described as a ‘chihuahua something,’ confirmed she was no longer with Richardson.
Bolotow used to be among his staunchest defenders, having featured in several of his raunchy shoots herself, and was quoted as saying she had ‘little respect’ for the models ‘who did things with Richardson and then later publicly blamed him for it.’
However, when quizzed about whether her perspective had changed now they were no longer together, she remained tight-lipped.
‘I live a quiet life,’ she said, adding that she had been in Woodstock for ‘too long.’
‘It’s an interesting place once you’re here for a while,’ she said, her distaste for the town clear in the grimace that fleeted across her face. ‘It’s a funny place.’
Bolotow said she wanted to move back to her old life in New York City after falling out of love not just with Richardson but the town they fled to when their star-studded life in Manhattan fell apart.
She closed her front door, saying: ‘I don’t talk to anybody,’ as she politely declined a sit-down interview.
Woodstock’s population is just 6,000. Trees decorated in multicolored crochet abound and rainbow crosswalks are a feature of almost every street in the artsy town.
The main drag is lined with independent stores and winding side streets give way to colorful and cozy residential properties like Bolotow’s.
On Tuesday afternoon, Richardson drove through the town to New York City where he stayed overnight before returning to his neighboring Bearsville the next morning.
A far cry from his former standout style – he was once instantly recognizable for his trademark jeans, plaid shirts and dark rimmed glasses – Richardson wore a Knicks shirt like millions more New Yorkers this week, perhaps in an effort to blend in.
Woodstock retailer Rebecca Turnow told the Daily Mail that the couple’s split is well-known among the community and they were separated for several years before they officially filed for divorce.
‘They have chosen to live here in obscurity,’ Turnow said.
‘They are people who have been very good neighbors and good members of the community as far as I know them.
‘It’s important that they and their minor children should be able to live the quiet life that they want to live.’
Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t Richardson, who once pictured himself flossing his teeth with the string of a still-inserted tampon, who provoked the most marked reaction from residents but his former wife.
One waitress at a local cafe, who did not wish to be identified, said Bolotow had a reputation for being ‘abrasive’ within the close-knit community while describing feuds which may give some indication as to why she is so keen to leave the town.
‘I have seen her around town, and my friends who own Moonrise Bagels said she left a really rude comment on their page,’ she said.
‘They were closing their Kingston venue, and she wrote, ‘I wish they would close their Woodstock one too.’ This is the kind of thing she is known for.’
When the couple first moved to Woodstock, Bolotow was heavily involved in the community. She was chair of the town’s Environmental Commission until 2023 and she opened an eco-friendly store on the high street in 2018.
However, she was ousted from her role at the commission, according to a local news report which described her as ‘feisty,’ following an alleged feud with other officials about a dumping ground.
She also quietly closed her store just a few years into its operations.
The Daily Mail has learned that Richardson and Alex ‘Skinny’ Bolotow are no longer together
Richardson and Bolotow married in 2017, the same year multiple models came forward
Woodstock is an artsy, eclectic town home to just 6,000 people
The Woodstock waitress added that despite his scandalous past, Richardson had fit in much more easily with local people and was well-liked for his mellow demeanor.
‘Terry is always very nice,’ she said. ‘He is definitely pleasant when he comes in.’
Another resident said Richardson was so charming that many have questioned the allegations against him.
‘I’m a woman, and in this country, one in five women have experienced sexual assault,’ one Woodstock local said.
‘But Terry has never been convicted, he’s always very nice to people around here.
‘I’m for women’s rights, I take that very seriously – but what’s been said about him may not be true.’
Certainly, Richardson has dismissed the allegations as ‘f***ing bulls***.’
Approached by the Daily Mail as he strolled across his front lawn on Wednesday he declined to talk about his life then or now, saying simply that he was ‘too tired,’ before retreating into the cool of that clapboard house.
