The Wexner Gateway
Leslie Wexner, founder of Limited Brands (later L Brands) and owner of Victoria’s Secret, was Epstein’s most prominent client and the source of his most useful social credential. Epstein used the Wexner association not only to manage finances but to insert himself into the world surrounding one of the world’s highest-profile modeling enterprises. Victoria’s Secret was, through the 1990s and into the 2000s, the dominant brand in the industry and its runway shows were among the most watched fashion events globally.
Epstein leveraged his proximity to Wexner to present himself to young models and aspiring models as a powerful gatekeeper. Multiple victims and witnesses have testified that Epstein or recruiters working for him told young women that Epstein could connect them to Victoria’s Secret — a claim that made him appear credible and made potential victims more willing to meet with him.
Allegations at Model Events
Court documents and victim accounts contain allegations that Epstein attended Victoria’s Secret-related events and used those settings to identify potential victims. Former model and Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, in deposition and court filings, described being initially approached through channels connected to Wexner’s world. Others described being told they could audition for or interview with Victoria’s Secret as a pretext for meetings with Epstein.
The modeling talent director who most explicitly connected Epstein and the modeling industry was Jean-Luc Brunel, whom Epstein supported financially and who allegedly supplied young women from his agency, MC2. Brunel had connections to the wider modeling industry including parts of the Victoria’s Secret casting ecosystem.
Internal Awareness Allegations
In litigation related to both Epstein’s estate and L Brands, questions were raised about what, if anything, Victoria’s Secret executives knew about how Epstein used the brand’s name and prestige. A 2020 New York Times investigation reported that Victoria’s Secret casting director Iván Bart knew of Epstein’s conduct but that knowledge did not result in action. L Brands conducted an internal review but concluded no corporate wrongdoing.
Les Wexner publicly stated in 2019 that he was “embarrassed” by his relationship with Epstein and denied knowing about or facilitating any criminal conduct. However, he acknowledged that Epstein had “misappropriated” substantial funds. The question of whether the Victoria’s Secret brand was knowingly used as recruitment bait was never definitively resolved in court.
Impact on L Brands
The Epstein revelations were one of several reputational crises that beset Victoria’s Secret in the late 2010s and contributed to a broader corporate reckoning. Wexner stepped down as CEO in 2020, the same year L Brands began divesting the Victoria’s Secret brand. In 2021, Victoria’s Secret was spun off as an independent public company. Subsequent leadership of the brand worked to distance it from the Wexner era and its associated controversies.
Victims’ attorneys have argued in civil proceedings that the use of the Victoria’s Secret name and brand as a lure constituted use of interstate commerce in furtherance of the trafficking scheme, a legally significant claim for purposes of corporate liability.
What Remains Unresolved
No criminal charges were filed against L Brands, Victoria’s Secret, or Wexner personally in connection with Epstein’s trafficking. Civil claims related to the brand connection were generally settled under confidentiality agreements. The full documentary record of how explicitly the brand was used — and who within the company structure was aware — has not been fully disclosed in public proceedings.