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Utah woman Lindsay Marsh was recently ordered by a judge to hand over an edited “boudoir album” to her ex-husband Chris as part of their ongoing divorce arrangement.
Marsh told KSL News that the judge asked her “to distribute” the personal and intimate photos after ruling that her ex-husband has the right to keep the album to preserve the loving messages written inside the photos for “memory’s sake.”
A boudoir album consists of boudoir-style photographs that mainly include romantic, personal, and intimate images of its subjects filmed in a private space like a bedroom, dressing room, or in any professional photo studio.
Boudoir photography is mostly intended for the subject’s private enjoyment purposes. Marsh claimed that although the judge allowed her to edit the personal photos so that the intimate content is “obscured,” the decision made her feel “violated and embarrassed”:
“It’s violating and it’s incredibly embarrassing and humiliating. These are things that were s*nsual and loving that I wrote to my husband that I loved. [He’s] my ex-husband now."
According to The New York Post, Lindsay Marsh said that the boudoir album was the only material possession that her ex-husband demanded to keep when their divorce was finalized in July.
Exploring the meaning of Boudoir photography
Boudoir photography can be defined as a genre of photography that mainly deals with personal, passionate, confident, and romantic images of its subject. According to The Photo Studio, the genre draws a fine line between fashion portraits and glamor photography.
The term “boudoir” originates from the 18th-century French word used to define a woman’s private setting like a salon or bedroom. Although boudoir shoots were initially focused on women, it recently garnered popularity among men and couples.
Many even choose boudoir photos as a personal gift for their significant other. Boudoir photoshoots do not require any professional models as subjects, unlike other genres of fashion or glamor photography.
In addition to being a special gift for a partner, boudoir photography can also be viewed as a form of unabashed self-expression and self-discovery.
Professional boudoir photographers often spend time with clients to develop a mutual connection and trust as the process can sometimes be intimidating for the subject.
A look into Lindsay Marsh’s divorce album controversy
Lindsay Marsh filed for divorce from her husband Christopher in April 2021 after 25 years of marriage. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the couple cordially divided their assets during the case, but the latter reportedly fought in court to keep a boudoir album that belonged to the couple.
The album reportedly consisted of personal photos of Marsh and romantic messages she wrote to her ex-husband during the early days of their marriage. As per court documents obtained by The Insider, a Davis County judge ruled that Christopher could have the photos but with certain conditions.
In another ruling, Second District Judge Michael Edwards mentioned that the photos should be given back to the original photographer so that Lindsay Marsh’s images could be censored while keeping the messages visible. The notice read:
"The Court orders that the parties are to turn these photos over to the person who took the pictures originally and produced the photo books.”
It added:
“That person is then to do whatever it takes to modify the pages of the pictures so that any photographs of the Petitioner in lingerie or that sort of thing or even without clothing are obscured and taken out but the words are maintained for the memory's sake.”
As Lindsay Marsh approached the original photographer, who was also her close friend, the latter declined to edit the images by saying it could be damaging to her boudoir photography business:
“Her clients trust her with their images and privacy, (and) she takes that seriously.”
During the August 26 ruling, the judge ordered that Marsh’s photos had to be edited by another photographer, a third party. The decision left the woman largely disappointed.
Lindsay Marsh told The Tribune that she even called the judge’s clerks’ office to check that the ruling was not a mistake:
“I just want to clarify. The judge has ordered me to give n*de photos of my body to a third party that I don't know without my consent?”
Shortly after the ruling, the original photographer agreed to edit the photos and digitally altered the images by placing black boxes over Marsh's body while keeping the inscriptions intact.
However, Lindsay Marsh told KSL that the process felt “violating” and made her feel humiliated:
“If all he was truly interested in was the inscriptions, he got those. I’ve complied with the court’s order, even though I believe strongly that [the] order [is] violating on many levels.”
The woman also mentioned that she decided to share her story to protect others who are facing a similar situation in their lives:
“The only way I can hopefully protect someone else from going through the same situation is to tell my story and expose that these are the types of things that he thinks are OK.”
Meanwhile, Marsh’s ex-husband Chris told The Tribune that the images in the boudoir album were not as personal as his wife claimed:
“I cherish the loving memories we had for all those years as part of normal and appropriate exchanges between a husband and wife… and sought to preserve that in having the inscriptions.”
He also accused his former wife of playing the “victim” while speaking to KSL:
“It appears that she has intentionally misrepresented and sensationalized several aspects of a fair proceeding to manipulate the opinions of others for attention and validation of victimhood.”
Lindsay Marsh has reportedly been ordered to keep the photos for 90 days to check if Christopher has any objections to the digital alterations made in the images.
The woman told The Tribune that she would have a “burning party” after she gets the permission to destroy the photos.
