Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries is facing allegations of sexual exploitation after eight men claimed in a bombshell BBC News investigation that he headed an elaborate scheme to recruit them for sex events.
Over the course of its two-year probe, BBC spoke to eight men who alleged that they were exploited or abused after being lured to events at Jeffries’ upscale New York residence or luxury hotels in the world’s fashion capitals.
BBC described the exploitative regime as a “well-oiled machine” where “recruiters” tasked with bringing young men to Jeffries’ events in London, Paris, Venice and Marrakesh would receive as much as $1,000 per referral.
A personal “groomer” then shaved the body hair off some of the men before attending the events, according to BBC.
Men were then required to sign non-disclosure agreements that said they would be sued if they spoke out. They were not allowed to keep a copy of the legal document.
The young men said they were recruited to the sex events by a middleman who reported to Jeffries and his British lover, Matthew Smith, with half claiming they were misled about the nature of these events.
Other alleged victims knew the events were sexual but were unsure what was expected of them, though all were paid to attend and hopeful that by doing so, they would land a modeling opportunity with Abercrombie & Fitch, according to BBC.
This middleman — who BBC identified as Jim Jacobson — was described by modeling agents as the gatekeeper to “the owners” of A&F during the teen retailer’s heyday in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
The alleged abuse took place between 1992 and 2014, when Jeffries abruptly resigned after 22 years at the helm following consistent sales declines and controversy — which Jeffries seemingly invited when he openly favored what he called “cool, good-looking people” at A&F while shunning “fat people.”
Jeffries reportedly walked away from the company — which has since ditched the shirtless male models who greeted customers outside of stores — with at least $27 million in cash and retirement benefits.
David Bradberry was one of Jeffries and Smith’s alleged victims, who was introduced to the A&F boss by Jacobson back in 2010, when he was 23, according to BBC.
Bradberry told the outlet that when he met Jacobson, he suggested A&F’s official photographer, Bruce Weber, take his photo.
Jacobson would often have Weber take photos of the young men he would then introduce to Jeffries, according to BBC, and then would have the men attend a “test run.”
“Jim made it clear to me that unless I let him perform oral sex on me, that I would not be meeting with A&F or Mike Jeffries,” Bradberry told BBC.
“I was paralyzed. It was like he was selling fame. And the price was compliance,” he said, noting that Jacobson led him to believe “this is where everybody gets their start.”
Bradberry was given $500 for his time that day, according to BBC.
Now in his 30s, Bradberry said he should have considered the meeting “a red flag,” but he thought Jacobson “was just a creepy old dude that I wouldn’t have to see again.”
However, Bradberry had another run-in with Jacobson after accepting an invitation to a daytime event at Jeffries’ former Hamptons home, which recently sold for $29 million, when the so-called middleman gave him A&F gift cards to buy an outfit.
Bradberry told BBC that made the event feel “legitimate” and “official,” and felt Jeffries was a “powerful man” who could “make his career.”
After speaking with Jeffries and Smith at their mansion about his aspirations to be an A&F model, Jeffries took drug inhalants known as “poppers” and later had sex with Bradberry, according to BBC.
Bradberry said he “didn’t feel safe to say ‘no’ or ‘I don’t feel comfortable with this’” because of the home’s “secluded” location and presence of Jeffries’ staff — who all dressed in a uniform of head-to-toe A&F and would hand alleged victims envelopes with thousands of dollars of cash before they left, per BBC.
Barrett Pall said he was recruited into Jeffries and Smith’s orbit in 2011, when he was 22, and was told by a recruiter that he would be a “replacement” for “some sort of sexual experience with the couple.”
He said he felt he had no choice because the recruiter — an older A&F model — had been helping him financially and he felt indebted to him, Pall told BBC.
The recruiter suggested that “the further you go, the better,” Pall told the outlet, and alluded to career opportunities.
“This experience, I think it broke me,” Pall said, recalling having to kiss Jeffries, who also groped him as a chaperone sat and watched.
The Post has sought comment from Jeffries, 79, and Smith, 60.
A spokesperson for A&F told The Post: “We are appalled and disgusted by the behavior described in the allegations against Mr. Jeffries, whose employment with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ended in 2014, nearly ten years ago. Speaking up and coming forward is not easy, and our thoughts are with those who bravely raised their voices.”
The spokesperson said the company has also “engaged an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the issues raised. The company’s current executive leadership team and board of directors were not aware of the allegations of sexual misconduct by Mr. Jeffries.”
“We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind.”
Two former US prosecutors who reviewed the BBC’s investigation have called for an investigation to determine whether sex trafficking charges should be brought, according to the news site.
Under US law, sex trafficking involves getting an adult to travel to another state or country to have sex for money by using force, fraud or coercion.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
