Alan Ritchson’s departure from the industry after sexual assault

Alan Ritchson of “Reacher” is referring to a sexual assault at the hands of a photographer earlier in his career.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson discussed his traumatic experience with bipolar disease, sexual assault, and a suicide attempt, which he overcame with a combination of faith, love, and raw power.

Alan Ritchson, the title character of Reacher, appears to be capable of almost anything. The 6’3″ actor plays a powerful juggernaut who can solve problems with his fists as well as his wits in this adaptation of Lee Child’s popular novels. But in a revealing new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson, 41, described a darker phase in his career. Ritchson, a fashion model in his twenties, revealed that photographers sexually assaulted him multiple times and harshly criticised his profession.

Tattoos are a recent interest for the “Reacher” star. Alan Ritchson’s ink depicts stories of love, family, and loyalty: a lotus for his wife, birds and flames for his children, and a stately skull for undying devotion.

“There are very few redeeming qualities to working in that industry,” stated Ritchson. “Let’s be honest: it’s essentially legalised sex trafficking. The industry is unregulated, and it’s a well-known fact that if you’re hired for a job, you’re effectively being handed over to a photographer to be trafficked.”

Ritchson refrained from naming individuals, yet he presented a chilling account of an assault by a powerful individual. The actor explained, “This very famous photographer booked me for a shoot.” The promise of a lucrative campaign for a magazine and a clothing company lured me into a hotel room for a nude shot. This person sexually abused me.

Ritchson went on to say, “I left and drove straight to the agency I was at in Los Angeles. I stormed in and yelled, “F— you for sending me there.” You knew what was going to happen, but you did it anyway. This agent had a cheeky smirk on his face, knowing he’d been caught. ‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘It’s not a big deal; calm down.’ I will not send you back there. I understand that he’s a bit aggressive.’ I replied, ‘No! F— you!’ I told them not to call me again. I left the industry, and this was the last picture shoot I ever had. No one ever viewed or published these photos. That was it.” “I swore it off, and thank God acting came along at the right time, allowing me to transition to a new job, but it left some wounds.”

The actor understands that this issue might be even more horrible for women. He stated that his sexual assault experiences have made him more sympathetic to the struggles of female actresses and models.

Ritchson recently experienced a physical altercation. In January, he made news for describing his attempt to halt a robbery while on a dinner date with his wife, Catherine, in Montreal, Canada. The two saw someone breaking into a car, and he disobeyed his wife’s warning not to get involved.

Ritchson told Canadian entertainment news Etalk that he went into “instant ‘Reacher’ mode,” chasing the person for four blocks until he “tossed him into a building and the cops came.”