Who is Mike Jeffries' partner Matthew Smith? Their relationship and involvement in Abercrombie & Fitch
Ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries has been arrested on charges of sex trafficking. Authorities also took his partner Matthew Smith into custody.
Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution.
Authorities also took into custody his British partner Matthew Smith on related charges, as well as the couple’s alleged middleman, James Jacobson of Wisconsin.
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Who is Mike Jeffries' partner Matthew Smith? Their relationship and involvement in Abercrombie & Fitch
60-year-old Smith is the longtime life partner of 79-year-old Jeffries, who was CEO of the clothing company from 1992 to 2014.
The FBI started an investigation last year after a report by the BBC that male models had accused the two of sexual exploitation.
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According to the British media outlet, there were claims that Smith exerted unofficial influence on Jeffries while he was head of Abercrombie & Fitch, even though Smith was not an employee of the company.
BBC spoke to 12 men who talked about events held by the two between 2009 and 2015, where young adult men were allegedly exploited for sex at Jeffries’ residences in New York and in hotels around the world.
Last year, a group of former aspiring models for the clothing brand sued both Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries, accusing the company of benefiting from a sex trafficking operation conducted by the former CEO.
Former model David Bradberry claimed in a proposed class action suit that Jeffries forced models to consume drugs and have sex with him, Smith, and others, in exchange for a shot at being part of Abercrombie’s catalogues.
Lawyers for Jeffries and Smith have denied any wrongdoing on the part of their clients.