We can't say we're surprised to hear that Morrissey has fallen out with yet another company that he has worked with, but when you throw celebrity 'photographer' Terry Richardson into the mix, things are a little more unexpected.
The former Smiths singer issued a statement at the weekend after an image of him wearing a t-shirt for clothing brand Supreme began cropping up online.
Supreme x Morrissey posters are popping up around the globe despite Morrissey's disapproval. #moz via @highsnobiety pic.twitter.com/r1dljrrurK
— Style Engine (@StyleEngine) February 14, 2016
It read: "I apologize enormously for the enfeebled photograph of me issued this week by Supreme," he said. "The shot was taken in October 2015. I considered the photograph to be fit only for a medical encyclopedia and I pleaded with Supreme not to use it. This was before I learned that Supreme were sponsored in part by the beef sandwich pharaoh known as White Castle. Supreme were issued with a legal caution not to use the photograph and their fee would be returned. Evidently Supreme have ignored my lawyer. No safety within the corridors of law. Ugh.
I offer excessive apologies for this association. Shame is indeed the name."
However, Supreme have issued their own statement detailing their side of the story, and revealed that the photo had even been taken by notorious predatory sleazeball Terry Richardson. They claim that Morrissey was offered a 'substantial fee' for the campaign, as well as several options "as a remedy to the impasse" that occurred when he raised an objection.
"Morrissey repeatedly ignored all three options with no reason given as to why," the statement read. "He then proceeded to assert a sudden and ridiculous claim that because Supreme had used the White Castle logo on a group of products in the past, and because he is a known vegetarian, that the agreement was supposedly terminated.
In light of this ploy, Supreme once again requested the return of the money it had paid to Morrissey so that both parties could walk away from the project. However, he refused.
After many attempts to solve this problem, and left with no other viable options, Supreme proceeded to publish these images as per it's agreement with Morrissey."
Read the full statement here.
UPDATE: In a move that was reminiscent of his falling-out with former label Harvest Records (when he and his band wore 'F*ck Harvest' t-shirts on stage and then Harvest Records started selling them), it seems that Supreme have now made a t-shirt with the photo of Morrissey available as part of a preview of their spring/summer 2016 collection:
