Ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch allegedly exploited and abused men Fear of military aid: a double blow for Ukraine from abroad

The former director of American fashion company Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F), Mike Jeffries, is suspected of exploiting and recruiting men for sex events around the world in the 1990s and 2000s. Research by the British BBC shows that Jeffries worked with his life partner Matthew Smith.

Twelve men told the newspaper that they had been exploited or sexually abused. In return, they would have received a career at A&F. An intermediary helped attract those affected. However, he denied any wrongdoing towards the BBC and said the men went into the events “with their eyes open”.

Jeffries and Smith did not comment on the allegations. The presumption of innocence applies until a possible conviction. However, Abercrombie & Fitch said it was “shocked and disgusted” by the former CEO’s alleged behavior, according to the BBC. Jeffries led the company from 1992 to 2014.

Jeffries was already considered controversial at the time

As the BBC reported, Jeffries transformed Abercrombie & Fitch from a failing company into a successful brand “based on preppy sex appeal.” Even then, Jeffries was a controversial figure. He was accused of racism and his friend Matthew Smith was said to have had undue influence on the company’s business activities: although he was never employed by A&F, he was said to have had access to company documents, among other things.

In 2014, Jeffries resigned due to declining sales and left the company with a retirement package worth about $25 million (about 23 million Swiss francs), according to the BBC investigation.

The accusations against the entrepreneur are serious: he is alleged to have exploited young men for sexual acts during events he organized at his New York residences and luxury hotels around the world, including in London, Paris, Venice and Marrakesh. According to the newspaper, this concerns emails, airline tickets and detailed travel plans. The statements were extensively investigated.

Men didn’t know it was about sex

Accordingly, several men said they were not initially informed that the trips paid for by Jeffries involved sexual intercourse. Others said they knew it was about sex, but didn’t know exactly what to expect.

A person believed to have been affected told the BBC about a conversation with Jeffries and Smith’s alleged intermediary. “He made it clear to me that in order to meet Mike Jeffries I had to perform oral sex on him. (…) I was paralyzed.” Looking back, the 23-year-old says this incident should have been a warning sign for him. But at the time he thought the intermediary was “just a creepy old man that I would never see again.”

The middleman promised him a career at A&F — so the 23-year-old accepted an invitation to an event at one of Jeffries’ homes in the Hamptons. He was allowed to buy an outfit in advance with gift vouchers from the fashion brand. The man told the BBC he felt “official”.

In the Hamptons, he spoke with Jeffries and Smith about his desire to become an A&F model. Jeffries later gave him “poppers” – a drug that can cause severe headaches and disorientation – and later had sex with him, the investigation said.

Money for sexual acts

Other men reported that Jeffries and Smith performed sex acts on them or ordered them to have sex with each other. The men then allegedly received envelopes containing cash. Meanwhile, A&F employees are said to have been present the entire time.

Domestic workers working at Jeffries’ former home in the Hamptons told the BBC that they were regularly told to leave the house. That’s why they assumed something strange was going on there. One former employee said he understood his boss had “play time.”

The BBC further describes that the intermediary sent Jeffries and Smith photos of ‘recruiters’ before the events. All the men said they had signed a confidentiality agreement from the organizers.

Sex trafficking charges?

An investigation is now underway to determine whether Jeffries and Smith could face sex trafficking charges. Under U.S. law, sex trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to induce an adult to travel to another state or country to have sex for money. Jeffries and Smith are said to have been lovers for years. It is reportedly unknown if they are still in a relationship.

The full BBC investigation into the alleged machinations of the former A&F CEO and his partner will be published as part of a podcast on Monday evening at 9pm local time.