The Victoria’s Secret fashion show dazzled millions with radiant Angels soaring down the runway in glittering wings, a symbol of fantasy and empowerment—yet the brand’s glittering image concealed a sinister shadow cast by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Through his deep ties to billionaire Les Wexner, founder of L Brands and Victoria’s Secret’s architect, Epstein brazenly exploited the name. He and Maxwell posed as scouts, dangling promises of catalog spots and Angel status to lure young, hopeful women and teens into private encounters that devolved into groping, assault, and grooming for abuse.
Aspiring models like Alicia Arden arrived at “auditions” full of dreams, only to flee hotel rooms in terror after Epstein’s hands invaded their bodies under the guise of fittings. Victims reported the horrors, but the warnings lingered in the shadows for years.
How far did this exploitation reach, and why did the glamour shield the darkness for so long?
The Victoria’s Secret fashion show once captivated global audiences, with radiant Angels gliding down the runway in sparkling wings and elaborate lingerie, embodying fantasy, confidence, and empowerment. The brand, built into a multibillion-dollar empire by billionaire Les Wexner through L Brands, sold not just products but an aspirational dream of glamour and allure.
Behind this shimmering facade lurked a sinister shadow cast by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein’s intimate ties to Wexner—beginning in the late 1980s—gave him extraordinary access and credibility. As Wexner’s financial advisor, Epstein gained power of attorney over vast assets, managed taxes, acquired properties (including a Manhattan townhouse where much abuse allegedly occurred), and even used private jets. This proximity allowed Epstein to brazenly exploit Victoria’s Secret’s name, posing as a recruiter or scout despite having no official role.
Epstein and Maxwell dangled promises of catalog features, runway opportunities, or “Angel” status to lure young, hopeful women and teens—often vulnerable, aspiring models—into private settings. What followed were encounters that devolved into groping, sexual assault, grooming, and trafficking. In 1997, model Alicia Arden arrived at a Santa Monica hotel “audition” expecting professional feedback on lingerie modeling. Instead, Epstein groped her buttocks, tugged at her clothes, and demanded to “manhandle” her body under the pretense of a fitting. Traumatized, she fled and filed a police report the next day—one of the earliest documented complaints.
Victims reported similar horrors: young girls told they were auditioning for the brand, some arriving in school uniforms at Epstein’s New York mansion, only to face abuse. Executives at The Limited reportedly learned in the mid-1990s of Epstein’s unauthorized impersonations and alerted Wexner, yet no firm action ensued. Warnings from advisors calling Epstein untrustworthy were reportedly ignored. The relationship persisted; Wexner transferred the East 71st Street townhouse to Epstein in 1998, and ties only severed around 2007 after Epstein’s initial legal troubles.
The exploitation reached far: federal prosecutors identified dozens of minor victims abused from the 1990s to 2007, with civil suits and investigations suggesting over 100 survivors total—some estimates higher when including broader claims. Many were minors groomed through the Victoria’s Secret lure, paid to recruit others, creating a network of coercion across Epstein’s properties in Palm Beach, New York, New Mexico, Paris, and Little St. James.
Why did the glamour shield the darkness for so long? Wealth, elite connections, and institutional failures played key roles. Epstein’s association with Wexner lent legitimacy; early reports (like Arden’s 1997 complaint) went unaddressed by authorities. A culture of misogyny and unchecked power—later exposed in company-wide allegations—enabled impunity. Wexner has denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, called his actions “abhorrent,” accused him of misappropriating tens of millions, and severed ties post-2007.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 awaiting trial; Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years. The brand’s image suffered, contributing to sales declines and Wexner’s 2020 retirement amid scrutiny. Yet lingering questions remain: how many more were silenced by the allure of stardom? The full reach of this exploitation—and why warnings echoed unanswered—reveals how power and fantasy can conceal profound abuse.
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