'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMbJKP/EABsQAAMAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECBAADEjGC/9oACAEBAAE/AKln3OXeTQfAx5Yi7ESoAT1xGf/EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAv/aAAgBAgEBPwAyX//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEv/aAAgBAwEBPwCmf//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
David Bradberry, a former model of Abercrombie & Fitch, accused former CEO Michael Jeffries of conducting a "widespread s*x-trafficking operation" in a lawsuit filed in 2023. The class-action lawsuit was filed by David Bradberry and 100 other male models.
David Bradberry is an American actor known for his role as a Deckhand in the American reality series Below Deck which premiered on Bravo on July 1, 2013. He accused Michael Jeffries of forcing him to take part in his s*xual acts and abusing him as he attempted to become a model for Abercrombie & Fitch during the early days of his career.
According to a BBC report released in early 2024, David Bradberry identified that a person named James Jacobson allegedly forced him to perform s*xual acts to land a modeling gig at Abercrombie & Fitch. He also accused Michael Jeffries of drugging and s*xually assaulting him over a decade ago.
The lawsuit accused Michael Jeffries, Matt Smith, Abercrombie & Fitch, and the Jeffries Family Office of violating New York’s Services for Victims of Human Trafficking, the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, the New York Adult Survivors Act and the Trafficking Victim Protection Act.
Details of David Bradberry's 2023 lawsuit against Michael Jeffries and Abercrombie & Fitch explored
In David Bradberry's 2023 lawsuit, he accused Michael Jeffries and associates of s*xually exploiting aspiring models. The lawsuit claimed Abercrombie & Fitch was aware of and supported Jeffries' and his partner's actions. According to the legal documents, scouts would find potential models online, and those selected were sent to Jeffries' home after an initial casting session.
At Jeffries' residence, the former CEO and his partner Matthew Smith would allegedly s*xually abuse the aspiring model. They would reportedly be sent to places like Morocco, England, New York, and France to be s*xually exploited by other men associated with Jeffries.
According to David Bradberry, the company endorsed and supported Jeffries' alleged deeds. The models would be forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement before being drugged and s*xually exploited by Jeffries and other men.
“The models were led to believe that being s*xually abused by the CEO of Abercrombie and his partner at a remote private location arranged by the company was the price that was paid to obtain one of the most coveted roles in the industry—an Abercrombie model,” the lawsuit claimed.
It added:
“This fact was reiterated to them several times by several different people who were known to have knowledge of the inner workings of the industry.”
Abercrombie & Fitch financially compensated Michael Jeffries despite being aware of his alleged s*xual exploits, claimed lawsuit
Michael Jeffries was brought in by Abercrombie & Fitch's former owner Leslie Wexner to revamp the brand. Newly hired, Jeffries transformed the brand once known for its hunting attire into a casual outfit brand for teens and youngsters. Jeffries left the company in 2014 after 11 consecutive years of negative comparable store sales.
During his reign, Jeffries came under much criticism for his alleged racist practices. In 2003, Asian-American, Black, and Latino employees filed a class-action lawsuit against the company alleging that they discouraged people from minority racial groups from applying to the company.
The lawsuit was substantiated by Jeffries' 2006 statement where he claimed that Abercrombie & Fitch only hired "good-looking people."
“We hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that,” commented Michael Jeffries.
Fast forward to 2023, David Bradberry's lawsuit alleged that Abercrombie & Fitch was aware of Jeffries' s*xual exploits, but continued to ignore his deeds and reward him with monetary compensation.
“Abercrombie financially benefited by retaining Jeffries as its cash cow CEO, who required as part of his employment, complete autonomy to utilize any methods of brand building he wanted, including the blatant use of a s*x-trafficking and s*xual abuse scheme,” claimed his lawsuit.
In response to David Bradberry's claims, Abercrombie & Fitch released a statement in 2023 claiming that the company's current leadership team was not aware of the "s*xual misconduct." Additionally, they claimed that the current board of directors had turned the organization into a "value-driven" system with zero tolerance for harassment, abuse, and discrimination.
Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith, and James Jacobson were arrested on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. They were accused of allegedly running a "casting couch" to lure their victims according to Breon Peace, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New Work.
He also asserted that at least 15 victims were coerced into having drugs and fulfilling their s*xual fantasies against their will between 2008 and 2015.
