Abercrombie and former CEO charged with sex trafficking

Last Friday, a group of former Abercrombie & Fitch models sued the company and its ex CEO Michael Jeffries on charges of sex trafficking. According to David Bradberry, one of the models who filed the lawsuit in Manhattan court, Jeffries forced people to use drugs and engage in sexual acts with him and others in exchange for a job. Jeffries, who was CEO of the company from 1992 to 2014, allegedly invited models to Abercrombie castings at his properties in New York and the Hamptons along with his partner Matthew Smith and other men at the top of the brand. According to Bradberry and other models, Abercrombie officials were aware of what was happening to the faces employed in the brand's campaigns. The company allegedly bestowed sums of money to people who came forward to file harassment or abuse lawsuits against Jeffries, thus making Abercrombie a support tool for the abuse perpetrated by Jeffries and his colleagues, given the large revenues the brand was reporting during those years.

Jeffries was one of the masterminds behind the brand's success, having transformed Abercrombie into a flagship brand for teenagers worldwide. Known to be a controversial figure even during the years of his rise, Jeffries was one of America's highest paid CEOs, despite allegations of discrimination against staff, lavish living and numerous comments against his partner Matthew Smith's influence in Abercrombie's business decisions. Released in 2022, the Netflix documentary White Hot chronicled the rise and fall of the brand in relation to other allegations that forever hurt the company's reputation, including those of racism and discriminatory hiring practices. Jeffries left the CEO position in 2014 (receiving a $25 million payout) and since then Abercrombie has changed its narrative in favour of inclusivity and tried to relaunch shops with new openings.

The news of the lawsuit by former models against Abercrombie comes only weeks after the publication of the BBC's investigation The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool, which reveals the dense network of connections and cover-ups made by the brand to help Jeffries and Smith find young people for their improper practices. According to BBC reports, the company said it was «apalled and disgusted» by these findings. The allegations by Bradberry and other models indicate that some Abercrombie officials claimed that taking part in sexual acts with the brand's top brass was part of the casting process. According to court statements, the models who fell victim to this practice were paid thousands of dollars after performing sexual acts against their will and being made to travel around the world to meet Jeffries. Bradberry's prosecution is seeking unspecified damages on behalf of more than one hundred men who came forward with him.