Abercrombie & Fitch accused of allowing ex-CEO's sexual exploitation of men in lawsuit

Fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch and its former CEO Michael Jeffries have reportedly been sued by a group of aspiring models who claim that the company benefitted from sex trafficking operations that were led by Jeffries.

The case was filed by former model David Bradberry, and he claims that Jeffries, who was CEO of the company from 1992 to 2014, forced models to engage in sexual acts with him and to take drugs so that they could be featured in the company's catalogues, according to Reuters. 

Don't miss: Abercrombie & Fitch releases statement on 'problematic' Netflix documentary trailer

The lawsuit states that Jeffries would invite aspiring male models to him homes in locations such as New York City and the Hamptons where he would then force the men to take drugs and participate in sexual acts with Jeffries, business partner Matthew Smith and others related to Abercrombie & Fitch. 

Legal documents reportedly state that Abercrombie's company officers knew about these actions and that it paid out settlements to people who tried to accuse Jeffries of sexual abuse or harassment at the time. It states that Abercrombie facilitated this sex-trafficking conspiracy, and that Jeffries made a lot of money in the process. 

Jeffries stepped down from his position in 2014 as the company started facing criticism that it was not keeping pace with the tastes of the modern shopper. Since his departure though, Abercrombie & Fitch have moved away from very suggestive advertising and has rebranded to be more size-inclusive. 

The lawsuit comes shortly after BBC released a report investigating Jeffries' exploitation of men at events he hosted globally while CEO. 

According to BBC, over the course of a two-year investigation, it spoke to eight men who said that they attended these events, and some said they were exploited or abused there.

BBC reported that these men were recruited by a middleman who was described as reportedly having a missing nose covered with a snakeskin patch. The BB report identified this individual as James Jacobson.

The lawsuit also accused Jeffries of violating a federal law that forbids sex trafficking. He also said that models were told that engaging in sexual acts were typical of the Abercrombie casting process and that they were paid in the thousands after they would perform sexual acts against their will.

The suit is reportedly seeking damages of a class of over 100 men who were allegedly abused. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Abercrombie for a statement. 

The news comes a year after Abercrombie & Fitch releases statement on 'problematic' Netflix documentary trailer. A&F posted on its Facebook and Instagram directly acknowledging the news of the upcoming documentary, which it said would focus on "an era that took place under previous leadership".

"While the problematic elements of that era have already been subject to wide and valid criticism over the years, we want to be clear that they are actions, behaviors and decisions that would not be permitted or tolerated at the company now," it said.  It also thanked its followers for the support through its journey to become more inclusive.

"We know the work is never done and remain committed to continually creating a company of which we can all be proud."

A&F's statement came as Netflix released a trailer for the documentary last week titled White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch. The documentary explores A&F’s "pop culture reign in the late ’90s and early 2000s" and how it thrived on exclusion, according to the synopsis on Netflix's YouTube channel.

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