Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, along with his partner Matt Smith, and another man, Jim Jacobson, was arrested this Tuesday in connection with an ongoing criminal sex-trafficking investigation. Reports indicate that the FBI and federal authorities launched the case in January after an investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation of young men at parties hosted by Jeffries and his associates during the 2010s. Jeffries served as CEO of the iconic clothing brand from 1992 until 2014.
Federal prosecutor Brittany Henderson stated, “Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victims of these people.” “Their fight for justice does not end here. We look forward to holding Abercrombie & Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.” Abercrombie & Fitch flooded through the fashion industry in the early 90s and has since then been a popular brand among Gen Z and millennials. The brand holds a powerful success story that remains influential for entrepreneurs to this day.
Abercrombie & Fitch gained its acclaimed reputation during Jeffries’ tenure as CEO. He earned the position from Les Wexner, the former Chief Executive of Victoria’s Secret, who is also notorious for being one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent clients. The brand was appealing among teenagers, despite the controversy surrounding its semi-nude advertising, which featured photos of shirtless men and bikini-clad women in stores.
Unveiling Controversies: A History of Discrimination and Abuse
These factors resulted in backlash against the company, ultimately revealing many dark truths about their business practices. In 2022, Netflix released a documentary film called White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, exposing the brand’s history of racial discriminatory hiring practices. Additionally, in 2023 Jeffries and Smith came under fire for a flurry of sexual abuse claims made by former male models who claimed they were drugged at parties the two had hosted.
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