Fourteen additional men have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, expanding an already significant federal sex trafficking case.
Jeffries, 80, is under house arrest and facing a 16-count indictment accusing him, along with his longtime partner Matthew Smith and middleman James Jacobson, of orchestrating a sex trafficking and interstate prostitution operation between 2008 and 2015. All three have pleaded not guilty.
The new accusers say they were manipulated with false promises of modeling opportunities, drugged, or coerced into sex acts—some as far back as 1992. At least 12 are being represented by attorney Jared Scotto, who said many were former Abercrombie employees. “We are following the criminal proceedings and civil class action suit very closely,” he said.
Separately, two men—Brandon Steele and Joseph Sterling—filed civil lawsuits in New York, alleging they were raped by Jeffries after being pressured to take illegal drugs and attend Abercrombie-themed sex parties. The BBC, which first reported many of these claims, noted the men were young adults at the time and were misled about modeling opportunities.
Jeffries’ attorney has not commented on the latest allegations. In December, his legal team sought a competency hearing, claiming he has late-onset Alzheimer’s.
The former CEO, once credited with turning Abercrombie into a pop culture brand, has been under fire since a 2023 BBC investigation exposed disturbing claims of abuse tied to his inner circle. Abercrombie & Fitch has not publicly commented on the allegations or on negligence lawsuits filed against the company.
A court hearing for Jeffries and his co-defendants is scheduled for May 1 in Central Islip, N.Y.
“There’s still so much that the world doesn’t know,” said civil attorney Josh Edwards. “Once the lawsuit resumes, the number of people who knew about the abuse—and did nothing—will be shocking.”
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