Abercrombie and ex-CEO sued over sex trafficking accusations

[56harrisond]

A group of once-aspiring Abercrombie & Fitch models on Friday sued the retailer and its former chief executive officer, Michael Jeffries, alleging the company had benefited from a sex trafficking operation led by Jeffries.

Former model David Bradberry in the proposed class action filed in Manhattan federal court claims Jeffries, who was CEO from 1992 to 2014, forced models to take drugs and engage in sexual acts with him and others for the chance to be featured in Abercrombie's provocative catalogs.

Abercrombie and ex-CEO sued over sex trafficking accusations | Reuters

WWW.REUTERS.COM

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A group of once-aspiring Abercrombie & Fitch models on Friday sued the retailer and its former chief executive officer...

 

[+ Coolwave35]

Every time I read a story like this, I check inside and still naively believe that every sexual encounter I’ve ever had has been consensual. 
 

You’d think after thousands of years, we’d figure out a better way of integrating money, youth desire and beauty without the inevitability of somebody or everybody feeling exploited and used. 

[Simon Suraci]

As if paying these men thousands of dollars after each session makes coercive actions and sex trafficking ok…I bet that’s how Jeffries rationalized his actions. Using your power, influence, position, etc to force people to do sexual favors for you is just wrong. Reminds me of the #metoo movement and Hollywood exposés in recent years.

I know someone who was blackmailed into doing sex work against his will. That’s another way to wield power over someone. His older boyfriend told him he would out him to his family if he didn’t keep working. The boyfriend pimped him out for years and the poor guy never saw a dime. Clients never knew he was being trafficked. Eventually my friend came out to his family and that gave him the power to escape.

[ICTJOCK]

I would think I should be surprised when hearing something like this,  but not at all!

[KrisParr]

I’ve lost count how many times I went to the mall and stopped by Aber just to ogle and lust in my heart. The best one was in Bloomington, Indiana where they hired so many hunky college dudes. Sigh. Memories. I’m surprised this story didn’t come out a long time ago. 

[+ azdr0710]

For those who follow this kind of stuff, all this A and F execs sex party stuff has been common knowledge for many years. 

[MscleLovr]

Very true @azdr0710  I first heard about their parties with male models some 13-15 years ago from a guy I was dating in LA.

The BBC has publicized its 2year(!) investigation which was broadcast in October and is streaming as “The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side Of Cool”. There’s also a podcast. Both David Bradberry (DB) and Barrett Pall (BP) were interviewed and made these claims. 

I watched the investigation. I’d already heard the allegations by BP as he’d aired them freely on social media, but I’d not heard of DB at all. (I was surprised that DB was considered goodlooking enough to be a male model). There was a lot of detail but almost no contemporary evidence.

I’m trying to be objective about this. It seems to me that both men complained about their poor decision-making when they were young. It was unclear what each man did by way of sexual activity, but they alleged that they felt the pressure to perform if they wanted a lucrative modelling contract. Both men said a third party, the ‘talent scout” for Abercrombie, wanted sex before putting their names forward to Abercrombie. IIRC DB said that guy wanted oral sex while BP said that he “performed fellatio” on him.
 

Neither man was forced to have sex with the CEO. Neither man was forced to join in when there were afternoon sex-parties at the CEO’s weekend house in the Hamptons. One guy alleged that the CEO suggested he have sex with another attractive young man at the party, so that he could watch them. Other men joined in with the pair who did not object. There were staff present throughout the party and no-one suggested any activity was forced.
 

Each man was free to leave the room where the sex-party took place. Each man was free to leave the house. Both guys were driven separately back to NYC afterwards. Each man talked of being given an envelope filled with $2500 in cash for their time that afternoon. (I was surprised at the amount for some 3-4 hours of work)


 

 

[Guest]

And it's "rumored" that they paid VERY handsome referral fees........... 😎

[pubic_assistance]

21 hours ago, MscleLovr said:

Each man was free to leave the room where the sex-party took place. Each man was free to leave the house.

Personally I am very much disgusted with this me-too garbage, being applied to every bit of "next morning regret".

You willingly put yourself in the position to exchange sexual favors for career opportunity and cash, you have NOT been "raped".

You may regret your decision years later but this was YOUR DECISION.

 

[maninsoma]

I see a huge difference between coercion (as in the example above of threatening to out someone if they won't do sex work) and someone who wants to make money based on their looks being invited to places to have sex for money where they can freely decline to participate or, for that matter, to simply decline the invitation. 

[pubic_assistance]

7 hours ago, maninsoma said:

I see a huge difference between coercion (as in the example above of threatening to out someone if they won't do sex work) and someone who wants to make money based on their looks

Allegations aren't the same as facts.

You jump to assume that this actually happened.

Edited October 30, 2023 by pubic_assistance
grammar

[maninsoma]

28 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Allegations aren't the same as facts.

You jump to assume that actually happened.

I was quoting a previous poster who claims to have a friend who was coerced into sex work under duress of outing him to his family.  I didn't assume that that story was true or false.  I simply said it's one thing to coerce or force someone into sex work.  It's another thing to say, "hey, you're a hot guy and you can make some good money if you attend this orgy."  And, again, I'm not saying that that actually happened in the AF case.  I'm just saying the two things are not equivalent in my mind.  I'm not sure if you just want to pick a fight or if you honestly misread my post.

[MaybeMaybeNot]

If you listen to the podcast, it is clear the men didn't always feel like they could decline. Some were manipulated into having sex with the guy with no nose,  who was hired in the first place because in the early parties,  the guys wouldn't perform.  This to me suggests 1) guys went in not knowing what was expected of them and 2) the Abercrombie guys knew not all of this was by choice.  I get the feeling the well-paid recruiters obfuscated the truth to get guys to go.  When you have power ("these guys might get you a job") combined with a system that prevents communication (no one will talk to you), has guards in place watching the action,  people taking your passport only to return it after you comply,  and forcing you to sign an NDA while you are naked,  it suggests coercion, certainly systematic if not intentional on behalf of the Abercrombie guys. Further,  considering at least one man passed and was raped suggests he was drugged and not consenual. 

Ultimately, there should have been someone in this system to say to these guys,  "You are here to be sex objects. If you like unrestrained gay sex, this might be fun. But you will be meat for these guys; they don't care about who you are or what you want or need.  You are here for their sexual gratification, and your needs or wants will be sublimated to that.  You will never ever become a model out of this,  but you will get paid well. Everyone referring you to them is getting paid a handsome referral fee, and you will be paid handsomely too. The man who is the gatekeeper to this is getting paid most of all. He is going to have sex with you before referring you to them. He dosn't have a nose,  so if you are willing to have sex with him, they believe you will not balk at having sex with the Abercrombie guys. At anytime you are uncomfortable during the party,  one of those guards are there to look after your needs.  Talk to him,  and he will escort you out our assist you in feeling more comfortable."

Instead,  it was a systematic approach of misinformation to trick these guys into a scenario where they would be made to feel like they couldn't back out,  and sometimes,  they were told blatant lies,  agreed to under the guise that they might get lucrative modeling jobs that could change their lives.  

[MaybeMaybeNot]

And to be clear,  there wasn't anyone at these sex parties looking out for the entertainment.  My response was to say there should have been.  When people have that much money and power,  they sometimes (often?) have teams in place to ensure their needs are met, which sometimes (often?) happens on the backs of people low in the food chain.  

[pubic_assistance]

2 hours ago, maninsoma said:

I'm just saying the two things are not equivalent in my mind. 

Then I don't know why you brought it up.

They obviously aren't.

I am talking about young men knowing what they are getting into and making a decision about going forward or not.

Blackmailing someone or drunk/drug raping someone are different topics.

The A&F issue is primarily Monday morning regret, not rape.

[pubic_assistance]

2 hours ago, MaybeMaybeNot said:

...AGREED to under the guise that they might get lucrative modeling jobs that could change their lives.  

Exactly.

CHOICE is not rape.

"Coercion" is still choice.

Nobody had a gun to their head and there are very few allegations of drugging anyone.

 

[marylander1940]

On 10/27/2023 at 9:52 PM, 56harrisond said:

A group of once-aspiring Abercrombie & Fitch models on Friday sued the retailer and its former chief executive officer, Michael Jeffries, alleging the company had benefited from a sex trafficking operation led by Jeffries.

Former model David Bradberry in the proposed class action filed in Manhattan federal court claims Jeffries, who was CEO from 1992 to 2014, forced models to take drugs and engage in sexual acts with him and others for the chance to be featured in Abercrombie's provocative catalogs.

Abercrombie and ex-CEO sued over sex trafficking accusations | Reuters

WWW.REUTERS.COM

---

A group of once-aspiring Abercrombie & Fitch models on Friday sued the retailer and its former chief executive officer...

 

Hopefully there would be no "cult of victimhood" joke and we'll keep this discussion classy, unfortunately it might be too late now. 

I wouldn't be surprised if some models get a tap on the shoulder and someone whispering, "if you want to be in the next catalogue, you'd better be nice to X".

I have a feeling that even if there's a video and other evidence many in this forum will always side with the perpetrators and say the models "had it coming".

It take a lot of "cojones" going to the cops and say you are a "stupid blond" who got pimped, raped, coerced, etc. Unfortunately after some rape jokes about Madison Cawthorn I think some of us would love to be in a position of power and take advantage.

 

On 10/28/2023 at 9:45 AM, Coolwave35 said:

Every time I read a story like this, I check inside and still naively believe that every sexual encounter I’ve ever had has been consensual. 
 

You’d think after thousands of years, we’d figure out a better way of integrating money, youth desire and beauty without the inevitability of somebody or everybody feeling exploited and used. 

Agreed!

Legalization would be the answer! Consensual sex between adults so folks can hire and be hired freely!

 

[marylander1940]

On 10/28/2023 at 12:42 PM, ICTJOCK said:

I would think I should be surprised when hearing something like this,  but not at all!

and I'm not surprised about some of the reactions on here. Just like in the thread about the Playboy mansion many will unfortunately say "they had it coming", "they deserved to be raped after posing naked", etc. 

 

[pubic_assistance]

4 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

many will unfortunately say "they had it coming", "

Nobody ever says "they had it coming about rape.

But plenty of people don't define Monday morning regrets as "rape".

 

[marylander1940]

1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said:

Nobody ever says "they had it coming about rape.

But plenty of people don't define Monday morning regrets as "rape".

 

that phrase has been said multiple times in this forum about rape survivors, especially in the Playboy Mansion thread... 

[marylander1940]

On 10/30/2023 at 8:11 AM, pubic_assistance said:

Personally I am very much disgusted with this me-too garbage, being applied to every bit of "next morning regret".

Quote

You willingly put yourself in the position to exchange sexual favors for career opportunity and cash, you have NOT been "raped".

You may regret your decision years later but this was YOUR DECISION.

 

What makes you think that was precisely the case?  b

Judging before we know all the facts?

The "me too" movement has exposed that we have a culture of rape in our country especially in colleges, sports and the military. 

[+ nycman]

On 10/30/2023 at 12:54 PM, pubic_assistance said:

The A&F issue is primarily Monday morning regret, not rape.

Not to be the Unicorn in the room, but I feel a song coming on….

”Regrets, I’ve had a few…"

 

[+ Coolwave35]

I was repeatedly molested the summer I was 8 years old.
 

30 years later, I had a masseur that would always blow me at the end of our sessions. I loved it. I looked forward to it. I saw him probably 24 times over 3 years. It was great. He was great. 
 

At my last appointment, he raped me. I was on my stomach looking forward to my blow job when I rolled over.  He got on top of the table, spit on his dick and popped it in. I froze. I felt 8 years old again and trapped. It was awful. I didn’t give him any indication that I wanted penetration. We never spoke of it. I didn’t insinuate that I wanted it. There were no misinterpreted signals. He saw my bare ass and he took it. I couldn’t move. I had no idea what to do and just laid there. 
 

I agree that there is a rape culture in America.  I also believe that people find themselves in sexually charged situations and freeze. I think when you have a little bit of distance from the trauma, you realize that you weren’t giving consent.  I also think the regret is tied to the inaction. I was so mad at myself for not stopping him. I regretted not beating the shit out of him. 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Coolwave35

[CuriousByNature]

13 hours ago, Coolwave35 said:

I was repeatedly molested the summer I was 8 years old.
 

30 years later, I had a masseur that would always blow me at the end of our sessions. I loved it. I looked forward to it. I saw him probably 24 times over 3 years. It was great. He was great. 
 

At my last appointment, he raped me. I was on my stomach looking forward to my blow job when I rolled over.  He got on top of the table, spit on his dick and popped it in. I froze. I felt 8 years old again and trapped. It was awful. I didn’t give him any indication that I wanted penetration. We never spoke of it. I didn’t insinuate that I wanted it. There were no misinterpreted signals. He saw my bare ass and he took it. I couldn’t move. I had no idea what to do and just laid there. 
 

I agree that there is a rape culture in America.  I also believe that people find themselves in sexually charged situations and freeze. I think when you have a little bit of distance from the trauma, you realize that you weren’t giving consent.  I also think the regret is tied to the inaction. I was so mad at myself for not stopping him. I regretted not beating the shit out of him. 

I'm really sorry this happened to you - both the earlier molestation and the later rape.  

Edited November 1, 2023 by CuriousByNature

[+ jessmapex]

I dont quite understand Coolwave's rape allegation. Oral play and anal play are both common acts in gay sex. So if during the same play session, the masseur performed one sexual act, it's ok, but if he performed another sexual act for which no explicit 'no' was said, it's rape?  Very confusing. 

Does this mean during consensual sex one has to get separate consent for every act? 

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by jessmapex