Abercrombie & Fitch Ex-Ceo Accused of Sex Trafficking
“Allegedly.”
Fashion isn’t always a glamorous industry as proven by the latest scandal as Abercrombie & Fitch‘s former executives — Mike Jeffries and Matthew Smith — have been accused of sexually exploiting and abusing male models.
According to a BBC investigation, the two men in question allegedly recruited men specifically for sex events, using a middle man to distance themselves from the clearly shady dealings.
Abercrombie & Fitch shared that it was “appalled and disgusted,” while the middle man, who BBC identified as James Jacobson, claims Jeffries and Smith attended these events with “eyes wide open.” For those who lived during the Hollister, A&F and Gilly Hicks era, sex appeal was a main selling point for the brands as storefronts were plastered with pictures of shirtless models. While Jeffries stepped down from his role in 2014, citing declining scales, BBC conducted a two-year investigation involving 12 men either organized or attended the sex parties between 2009 and 2015. Young men were often recruited under the guise of potentially modeling for the brand, but David Bradberry made it clear that the job opportunity was a pretense as he shared, “Jim made it clear to me that unless I let him perform oral sex on me, that I would not be meeting with Abercrombie & Fitch or Mike Jeffries.”
Charges have yet to be officially filed, but it is only a matter of time. Stay tuned for updates as the news unfolds.
