Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Diagnosed with Dementia

In a court document filed in New York, the legal team for the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has disclosed that he suffers from dementia and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Mike Jeffries’ attorneys have requested a hearing to assess his mental competency to stand trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Jeffries and his partner were arrested in October, accused of operating an international sex trafficking and prostitution ring. Both men have entered not-guilty pleas.

A competency hearing is scheduled for June next year. Jeffries, who led the US clothing brand A&F for two decades, is alleged to have been involved in a sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise from at least 2008 to 2015.

Prosecutors claim that Jeffries exploited his wealth, influence, and status to traffic men for his sexual gratification, as well as for the gratification of his British partner, Matthew Smith. The prosecution asserts that Jeffries, Smith, and a middleman, James Jacobson, aged 71, employed force, deceit, and coercion to compel vulnerable, aspiring models into violent and exploitative sexual activities.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty and have been released on bond. The FBI’s investigation commenced last year following a BBC exposé that revealed allegations of sexual exploitation by Jeffries and Smith at events they organised globally.

In the same month, Jeffries’ lawyer, Brian Bieber, stated that his client had undergone multiple examinations by a neuropsychologist who concluded that he was likely suffering from two forms of dementia and probable late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

In a court submission, Bieber noted that during an initial meeting last year, Jeffries did not even remotely resemble an individual with a master’s degree, who had been the CEO of a publicly traded company just nine years prior.

Consequently, Bieber raised doubts about Jeffries’ ability to “rationally assist” in his defence against the allegations, as per the document.

This filing follows the legal team’s request for a competency hearing, now set to take place over two days on 16 and 17 June 2025. Federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York have declined to comment. Jeffries resigned as CEO and chairman of A&F in 2014, receiving a retirement package worth $25 million (£19.9 million).

In addition to the criminal proceedings, Jeffries, his partner, and A&F are also defending a civil lawsuit that accuses the retailer of financing a sex trafficking operation.

Earlier this month, Jeffries filed a lawsuit against A&F for refusing to cover his criminal defence costs, arguing that the company had agreed to indemnify him for all claims related to his tenure.

Frances Ibiefo

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