Buried in a forgotten server, emails no one believed still existed suddenly exploded online Monday night—casual exchanges from the early 2000s in which Next Model Management co-founder Faith Kates traded messages with Jeffrey Epstein’s closest aides about “fresh faces” and private dinners. By sunrise, the woman who launched the careers of Gisele, Molly Sims, and countless others had quietly surrendered every title at the agency she built from nothing. Staff were told she was “stepping back indefinitely”; her name vanished from the website before most of the fashion world had even seen the screenshots. In an industry that long buried its darkest secrets, one digital ghost just proved the past can still burn everything down.
What exactly did those emails say, and why did Next move so fast to erase its founder?
Late Monday night, screenshots of long-forgotten emails began circulating quietly before exploding across social media and private industry channels. Pulled from what sources describe as an abandoned server, the messages dated back to the early 2000s and appeared to show casual exchanges between Faith Kates, the powerful co-founder of Next Model Management, and members of Jeffrey Epstein’s inner circle.
By sunrise, the consequences were unmistakable.
Staff at Next were informed that Kates was “stepping back indefinitely” from all roles. Her name was removed from the agency’s website without announcement or explanation. Titles she had held for decades vanished overnight. By the time much of the fashion world became aware of the screenshots, the woman who helped launch the careers of Gisele Bündchen, Molly Sims, and countless others had already disappeared from the empire she built from nothing.
According to individuals who reviewed the emails before they spread publicly, the exchanges were informal in tone and referenced “fresh faces” and invitations to private dinners. On their own, the words might once have seemed innocuous. In the shadow of Epstein’s later conviction for sexual abuse and trafficking, however, the language has taken on a far more troubling weight.
There have been no criminal charges announced against Faith Kates. The full authenticity and context of the emails have not been publicly adjudicated. Still, in an industry deeply scarred by Epstein’s crimes and by years of reckoning over exploitation and power imbalance, the reputational damage was immediate.
Next Model Management declined to comment on the content of the emails, confirming only that leadership decisions were being reevaluated. Multiple sources say the speed of the response reflected a desire to contain fallout rather than an admission of wrongdoing. In an agency whose business depends on young talent and public trust, even the appearance of proximity to Epstein has become untenable.
For decades, Faith Kates represented the pinnacle of authority in modeling. Known for her discipline and control, she shaped careers, negotiated powerfully with brands, and helped define the modern supermodel era. Her sudden erasure has left employees unsettled and observers questioning how such a dominant figure could fall so completely, so fast.
Outside the agency, reaction has been swift and emotional. Victims’ advocates have renewed calls for transparency, arguing that industries built around youth and access must confront uncomfortable histories rather than bury them. Former models have begun revisiting their own experiences, speaking broadly about environments where influence went unquestioned and boundaries were often unclear.
None of those voices have accused Kates directly. But together, they underscore a larger truth the fashion world has struggled to accept: silence and proximity can carry consequences long after the fact.
The central questions remain unanswered. What exactly did the emails say in full context? Why were they preserved, forgotten, and then rediscovered decades later? And what, precisely, prompted Next to move so decisively before the screenshots reached a wider audience?
In an industry that once believed time could erase its darkest chapters, one digital ghost has delivered a harsh reminder. The past does not stay buried simply because it is inconvenient—and when it resurfaces, it can still burn everything in its path.
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