Hulu’s New Docuseries Pulls Back The Curtain On Jeffrey Epstein’s Connection To Victoria’s Secret

When thinking of Victoria’s Secret, their annual glitzy fashion show and pungent body spray probably pop into your mind. Little did we know that the mastermind behind the flashy lingerie brand is American billionaire Les Wexner. The businessman founded L Brands in 1963, the parent company of various internationally recognized retailers; does Bath & Bodyworks or Abercrombie & Fitch sound familiar?

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Where’s the connection between an old billionaire that owns Victoria’s Secret and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein?”. According to Vanity Fair, Wexner and Epstein met through a mutual friend in the mid-eighties. They kept in touch and became very close after Epstein advised Wexner to exit the stock market before it crashed in 1987. Over the years, the two men became so close that Wexner appointed Epstein as his power of attorney; for those who don’t know, giving someone that task is a big freakin’ deal. Epstein earned millions from managing Les’s financial affairs as time passed, eventually leading to the financier purchasing his island. (For context on the hell that is Epstein Island, I suggest watching Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich on Netflix.) Most of Epstein’s other assets, including his private jet, land in Ohio, and a mansion, were previously owned by Les. 

Hulu's documentary discusses Epstein’s previously revealed disgusting and predatory actions and how he used Les’s ownership of Victoria’s Secret to prey on young women and girls. In an article regarding the documentary, CNN describes “Alicia Arden, a woman who said she believed she was interviewing for a job as a Victoria's Secret catalog model in 1997 but was instead assaulted by Epstein at a hotel in California.” While Wexner hasn’t said much about his friendship with Epstein, his attorney reached out to the documentary’s producers and claimed that he confronted Epstein after the incident in 1997. The business mogul also contended, "Being taken advantage of by someone who was so sick, so cunning, so depraved is something that I’m embarrassed that I was even close to." Following the release of Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich in 2020, Wexner stepped down as the CEO of L Brands. 

Over the last two years, Victoria’s Secret has been working on a rebrand to shift the brand from pleasing the male gaze (such as Epstein’s) to female empowerment. While some customers and onlookers are critical of the lingerie brand’s new image, it’s a step in the right direction. Stream Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons on Hulu.