Major retailers including Nordstrom, Macy's, and JCPenney reportedly joined Victoria's Secret in using a modeling agency with ties to Jeffrey Epstein
- Several major retailers - including Nordstrom, Macy's, and JCPenney - reportedly worked with MC2 Model Management, the agency accused of supplying underage women to Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking operation.
- According to Bloomberg, MC2 business partner Jeff Fuller approached CEO Jean-Luc Brunel in 2014 to voice concerns about Brunel's ties to Epstein, noting that he had received a "tremendous amount of worries from our clients."
- Still, many brands continued to work with MC2. Bloomberg reported that a Nordstrom executive sponsored Brunel's application for a O-1 visa, granted to someone who "possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics."
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In the wake of Jeffrey Epstein's death, discoveries of his wide-ranging ties to the retail industry only continue to grow.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that MC2 Model Management - the modeling agency accused of supplying underage women to Epstein's alleged sex trafficking operation - worked with several major retailers beyond Victoria's Secret.
According to a letter sent to Bloomberg by Brunel's business partner Jeff Fuller, MC2's client roster also included Nordstrom, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, Kohl's, Target, Sears, and Belk. Fuller said he had warned MC2 owner Jean-Luc Brunel about Brunel's ties to Epstein, writing in the letter that he told Brunel in 2014 that he had received a "tremendous amount of worries from our clients."
Brunel's connection to Epstein stems from at least 2002, when flight logs show Brunel flew from Florida to the Bahamas on Epstein's private plane. Brunel also reportedly visited Epstein in jail while the financier was serving a 13-month sentence for his involvement in an underage prostitution case in 2008.
"It's not clear how extensively or for how long the retailers worked with MC2, but the connections draw fresh scrutiny to the relationship retailers have with the modeling industry, which is largely unregulated," Bloomberg wrote. "Retailers often work with several modeling agencies, using a casting director to determine who to book for fashion shows, catalog shoots and other projects."
Further, Bloomberg reported that a Nordstrom executive was involved in sponsoring Brunel's application for an O-1 visa. According to the US Citizenship and Immigrations Services, this work permit is granted to "the individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements."
According to Bloomberg, Nordstrom last worked with MC2 in January 2017, though the retailer declined to comment for the story. Macy's spokeswoman Blair Rosenberg wrote in an email to Bloomberg that MC2 is not currently on its client list, but that the retailer had partnered with the agency "on a handful of very small projects," in which the person in charge allegedly "was not aware of the concerns."
Business Insider did not immediately receive responses to requests for comment from Nordstrom, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, Kohl's, Target, Sears, and Belk.
Victoria's Secret has already been embroiled in controversy after news arose that L Brands CEO Les Wexner had ties to Epstein and had formerly employed the financier as his money manager. Though Wexner claims to have severed ties with Epstein 12 years ago, Victoria's Secret continued to use MC2 models for in its 2015 fashion show, as well as in catalog and website photography.