Abrecrombie & Fitch’s former CEO Mike Jeffries Exposed for Exploiting Young Men
Image of a model. By Hope Photo Photography via Flickr
Trigger Warning: mentions of sexual harrassment
The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries has been recently exposed for sexually exploiting young men. Through investigations, they found that his partner Matthew Smith and himself were using a middleman to track down young men for sexual events.
The current board members and executives were unaware of the ongoing accusations of sexual misconduct by the former CEO. “For close to a decade, a new executive leadership team and refreshed board of directors have successfully transformed our brands and culture into the values-driven organization we are today. We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind,” read a statement from the retailer, sent to CNN.
Both Jeffries and his partner hosted sex events and filled them with the recruited men that they scouted, paying upwards of $500 to $1,000 dollars per referral. Eight men have stepped forward confirming that they were exploited and attended parties in many different countries that were tied to Jeffries and Smith. They were repeatedly exploited, abused and taken advantage of.
The recruiter often used bait to coerce the men into these parties telling them that it would involve modeling opportunities for the brand if they went along. Despite these claims, the alleged middleman denied all statements and told reporters that the men would enter the situation with “eyes wide open.”
David Bradberry opened up about his experience with the alleged middleman James Jacobson. Bradberry was just 23 years old, an aspiring model in 2010 when he was exploited. He told People magazine, "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.”
Bradberry also recalls attending a party in the former CEO’s Hamptons estate where he was given drugs and had intercourse with Jeffries.
Investigators also looked into further evidence to support the claims and collected emails, flight tickets, and other documentation that were attached to the men’s accounts during that time period. Interviews with staff working for him during this time period were also checked out. Jeffries would dismiss them every Saturday night for several years which led to the staff growing to become suspicious.
Mike Jeffries and his partner are both eligible for charges of sex trafficking, following the independently reviewed documentation done by United States prosecutors.
The BBC has made numerous attempts to get into contact with both Jeffries and Smith to respond to a long list of allegations. To the media’s knowledge, it is unknown if they are even fully aware of the extent of the allegations. Both have yet to respond.
This is not the first time he has been under investigation by the press for the way he led the brand. Consumers put the company on blast after questioning their hypersexual marketing by constantly having the men in ads shirtless, as well as having them stand outside the stores to greet customers. The marketing tactics used to attract young hopeful customers were considered toxic and assisted in the brand's temporary downfall.
During the Netflix release of White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch in April of 2022, Jeffries has been repeatedly under investigation. The documentary followed the controversy of their marketing prices and alleged discriminatory racism.
Since these accusations, the spokesperson for the brand has stated that Jeffries had not been affiliated with the brand in over 10 years. They also stated that they have no tolerance for this kind of behavior and have been working hard to rebrand themselves away from what it was before.