The ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries and his British partner have faced allegations of exploitation from men recruited for sex events they hosted globally.
A BBC investigation found a highly organised network used a middleman to find young men for the events with Mike Jeffries and Matthew Smith.
As per BBC, around eight men who attended the events alleged they were exploited or abused. Jeffries and Smith did not respond to requests for comment.
Over two decades from the 1990s, Mike Jeffries transformed A&F from a failing heritage outfitter into a multi-billion-dollar teen retailer by selling sex appeal, with preppy all-American shirtless male store models and provocative billboards.
Once one of America’s highest-paid CEOs, he was a controversial figure who faced claims of discrimination against staff, concerns about his lavish expenses, and complaints about the unofficial influence of his life partner, Matthew Smith, inside A&F.
The BBC has now uncovered allegations that the fashion tycoon exploited young adult men for sex at events he hosted in his New York residences and luxurious hotels around the world, including in London, Paris, Venice, and Marrakesh.
The eight men who attended the events said they were recruited by a middleman, who they described as having a missing nose covered with a snakeskin patch. The BBC has identified him as James Jacobson.
Half the men who told the BBC about their recruitment alleged they had been initially misled about the nature of the events or not told sex was involved. Others said they understood the events would be sexual, but not exactly what was expected of them. All were paid.
Several told the BBC the middleman or other recruiters raised the possibility of modelling opportunities with A&F. All except one said they felt harmed by the experience.
Men who attended these events told the BBC Mike Jeffries and Matthew Smith would engage in sexual activity with about four men or “direct” them to have sex with each other. Afterwards, the men said staff at the event handed them envelopes filled with thousands of dollars in cash.
Bradberry said the “secluded” location and presence of Jeffries’ personal staff, dressed in A&F uniforms, supervising events meant he “didn’t feel safe to say ‘no’ or ‘I don’t feel comfortable with this'”.
The BBC investigation also uncovered details of the “well-oiled machine” organising sex events for Jeffries, in which:
- “Recruiters” would find men to attend his events and receive between $500 and $1,000 from Jacobson for every referral
- Jacobson, described by the men as the “middleman” or “casting agent”, found men for the sex events. The BBC was told he forwarded photos of them to Jeffries and Smith
- Most of the men allege Jacobson propositioned or sexually “auditioned” them, by requesting or offering to perform oral sex before being introduced to Jeffries and Smith
- A personal “groomer” was hired to intimately shave body hair from some of men attending events, an experience some described as “dehumanising”
- All the men said they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. They said they had little time to read it and were not allowed to keep copies, but understood they would be sued if they spoke out
- A small group of Jeffries’ personal staff, who wore A&F uniforms, supervised the men – even during the sex acts – and handed them money
- It is alleged Jeffries funded the entire operation, including the money for referral fees, while Smith organised the cash payments
The largest event described to the BBC was hosted in a private villa at a five-star hotel in 2011, for which dozens of men were flown to Marrakesh.
