Mike Jeffries, the previous CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, is making headlines over his arrest. In line with a brand new report, the ex-boss of the well-known clothes model was arrested on intercourse trafficking-related expenses. The information broke hours earlier than the indictment is anticipated to be unsealed.
Be taught extra concerning the case in opposition to Jeffries and his historical past with Abercrombie & Fitch beneath.
Who Is Mike Jeffries?
Jeffries is a businessman who beforehand labored as the pinnacle of Abercrombie & Fitch. He grew up in Los Angeles and sparked criticism for growing the model’s “cool” exclusionary picture.
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 model’s revival. After being employed in 1992, Jeffries dug the corporate out of a droop following its chapter within the late Eighties. Nonetheless, the retailer finally confronted controversy over its sexualized advertising and marketing decisions, which Jeffries led. From the Nineties to the early 2000s, the model’s ads primarily featured shirtless male fashions carrying collegiate and upscale garments. Consequently, many criticized Abercrombie & Fitch’s all-white and all-male picture.
In 2022, Netflix launched a documentary titled White Scorching: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, which unraveled the corporate’s controversial advertising and marketing strategies and racial hiring strategy.
The next yr, intercourse trafficking claims surfaced in opposition to Jeffries.
Why Was Mike Jeffries Arrested?
In October 2024, Jeffries was arrested on greater than a dozen counts associated to intercourse trafficking, CNN reported. In line with the outlet, Jeffries was accused of participating in a intercourse trafficking scheme to recruit males with modeling aspirations from 2008 to 2015. One supply advised the outlet that Jeffries and two associates, together with his former accomplice Matthew Smith, would host events the place males got medicine, alcohol and Viagra to carry out numerous sexual acts.
Jeffries’ legal professional, Brian Bieber, stated in an announcement obtained by CNN, “We are going to reply intimately to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed, and when acceptable, however plan to take action within the courthouse – not the media.”
The outlet additional reported that a few of the victims concerned within the state of affairs have been as younger as 19 years outdated. Many reportedly labored for or modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch areas.
