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Australian musician Jaguar Jonze called out the behaviour of photographer Jack Stafford and stood in solidarity with other alleged victims who contacted her.
Australian musician Jaguar Jonze called out the behaviour of Melbourne music photographer Jack Stafford and stood in solidarity with alleged victims who contacted her. Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Australian musician Jaguar Jonze called out the behaviour of Melbourne music photographer Jack Stafford and stood in solidarity with alleged victims who contacted her. Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Photographer Jack Stafford admits to being ‘abuser’ after Jaguar Jonze posts #MeToo accusations

This article is more than 3 years old

Jonze says Stafford’s apology ‘isn’t good enough’ as dozens of women come forward

A well-known photographer in Melbourne’s music scene has admitted to being an “abuser” and the subject of dozens of #MeToo accusations posted online by the musician Jaguar Jonze, but Jonze has said his apology “isn’t good enough”.

Jack Stafford, who operated under the Instagram username “@re._stacks” posted a lengthy apology to the blogging site Medium on Monday, admitting to sending photographs of his penis to multiple women, making lewd comments to models he was working with and pressuring women into posing for nude or semi-nude photos.

He also admitted to sharing photographs of women without their consent.

“I was absolutely wrong. I am an abuser … I abused my power. And have displayed pure misogyny in more than just my professional career but also in my personal life,” Stafford said.

This apology came after Jonze posted a selection of accusations against Stafford to her Instagram, alleging she had heard from 59 women at that time.

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Jonze, whose real name is Deena Lynch, did not name Stafford in these posts, but urged other women to reach out to her if they had similar experiences with photographers in the industry.

Jonze told Guardian Australia she had now heard from 99 women alleging negative experiences with Stafford.

“I was shocked when it got to like 10 or 20, and I just cannot believe it’s up to 99,” she said.

“I just think that he’s gotten away with something for way too long, that shouldn’t have taken up till now for it to surface.”

Stafford outed himself first through Instagram and later on Medium, but he told Guardian Australia it was already widely known the anonymous posts were about him.

“Some of the context [in the posts] isn’t completely true, but I don’t want to defend anything,” he said.

“I just want to accept it and own that I am a person who did these things and that there is no excuse to them. I will get the help to never do them again and hopefully one day be able to apologise to people properly with full understanding.

“The possibility of actually being a full-blown narcissist has just come into my realm, and I’ve spent days reading about it and it seems to be the case.”

Jonze said Stafford’s statement had angered many of the women she was in contact with.

“I found it to be a huge defence of ignorance and I think that’s not good enough … I know that that apology angers them,” she said.

“He starts off the statement saying that he needs to be listening. But to then go ahead and write a 3,000-word apology … I found that to be contradictory to the listening he says he should be doing.”

Jonze told Guardian Australia she was planning to speak to police and explore legal options for the women who contacted her.

Stafford said in his statement that he would face any legal charges surrounding his alleged harassment.

“If the things I have done result in me having to apologise to people or many people in even [sic] a courtroom or result in me having to face a charge, I will face that.”

He said he now believes that sending unsolicited photographs of one’s genitalia, something which he admitted to doing, should be considered sexual assault.

Stafford said in his apology post that he would be leaving photography forever.

“I’m removing myself from the society I was in to figure these things out and get the help needed and I will not return to the photography world ever … I have started to begin wiping my hard drives and all dropbox folders of shoots created over my time as a photographer and that they will be permanently deleted, no one’s photo will ever be misused,” he said.

He said he would seek out therapy and sell his photography equipment in order to pay models he had already booked for shoots.

“The amount of people, it seems like everyone I’ve ever spoken to is sharing everything I’ve ever done ... some of the things I’m reading, I never would have seen it the way they saw it, and that was what the most eye-opening part is. That’s the thing I’m trying to learn,” he told Guardian Australia.

Stafford said the situation has seriously impacted his mental health, but he wanted to reform, learn from his mistakes and eventually advocate for women.

However, Jonze said she was disappointed with this statement.

“I think he put himself forward as a social media martyr for men when I don’t think he’s even taking the time to understand his actions or is able to do deep reflective thinking needed to even begin those steps of being that role model for men in society,” she said.

Stafford has since deleted his Instagram account and said he will be removing himself from public life for some time.

Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14

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