Mike Jeffries, the previous CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, is making headlines over his arrest. In accordance with a brand new report, the ex-boss of the famous clothing brand was arrested on sex trafficking-related charges. The news broke hours before the indictment is predicted to be unsealed.
Who Is Mike Jeffries?
Jeffries is a businessman who previously worked as the top of Abercrombie & Fitch. He grew up in Los Angeles and sparked criticism for developing the brand’s “cool” exclusionary image.
When Did Mike Jeffries Work for Abercrombie & Fitch?
Jeffries was the Chairman and CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014. He has been credited with the brand’s revival. After being hired in 1992, Jeffries dug the corporate out of a slump following its bankruptcy within the late Eighties. Nevertheless, the retailer eventually faced controversy over its sexualized marketing selections, which Jeffries led. From the Nineties to the early 2000s, the brand’s advertisements mainly featured shirtless male models wearing collegiate and upscale clothes. Consequently, many criticized Abercrombie & Fitch’s all-white and all-male image.
In 2022, Netflix released a documentary titled White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, which unraveled the corporate’s controversial marketing methods and racial hiring approach.
The next yr, sex trafficking claims surfaced against Jeffries.
Why Was Mike Jeffries Arrested?
In October 2024, Jeffries was arrested on greater than a dozen counts related to sex trafficking, CNN reported. In accordance with the outlet, Jeffries was accused of engaging in a sex trafficking scheme to recruit men with modeling aspirations from 2008 to 2015. One source told the outlet that Jeffries and two associates, including his former partner Matthew Smith, would host parties where men got drugs, alcohol and Viagra to perform various sexual acts.
Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, said in a press release obtained by CNN, “We’ll respond intimately to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to accomplish that within the courthouse – not the media.”
The outlet further reported that a few of the victims involved within the situation were as young as 19 years old. Many reportedly worked for or modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch locations.
