1 00:00:01,043 --> 00:00:03,046 [indistinct chatter] 2 00:00:10,637 --> 00:00:13,348 ANNOUNCER: Roll tape. What is Victoria's Secret? 3 00:00:13,348 --> 00:00:15,058 in three, two, one, go. 4 00:00:15,058 --> 00:00:16,977 ♪ tense music playing ♪ 5 00:00:29,781 --> 00:00:34,035 NICOLE PHELPS: By 2018, the Victoria's Secret way of doing things 6 00:00:34,035 --> 00:00:38,498 was a 20-year-old force of habit. 7 00:00:38,873 --> 00:00:42,210 And so, they were forced to begin making changes. 8 00:00:42,210 --> 00:00:45,213 And during the fashion show, you could see it. 9 00:00:45,213 --> 00:00:47,632 - It's empowering. - Strong. 10 00:00:47,632 --> 00:00:50,427 - Fierce, sexy. - Iconic. 11 00:00:50,427 --> 00:00:52,429 MICHAEL GROSS: The notion that a model 12 00:00:52,429 --> 00:00:54,472 shouting the word "fierce" 13 00:00:54,472 --> 00:00:56,850 was gonna work was just ridiculous, 14 00:00:56,850 --> 00:00:59,644 but it showed just how out of touch 15 00:00:59,644 --> 00:01:02,188 the leadership of Victoria's Secret had become. 16 00:01:02,564 --> 00:01:05,650 They thought they could fool a few more people 17 00:01:05,650 --> 00:01:07,819 and talk about empowerment. 18 00:01:07,819 --> 00:01:10,030 - Successful, confident women. 19 00:01:10,030 --> 00:01:12,616 - Really powerful, young women. - Be sexy for ourselves 20 00:01:12,616 --> 00:01:13,658 and for who we wanna be, 21 00:01:13,658 --> 00:01:16,119 not because a man says you have to be. 22 00:01:16,119 --> 00:01:18,163 It was never about that in the first place. 23 00:01:19,331 --> 00:01:22,459 JAMES SCULLY: That whole hypersexualization worked for a long time, 24 00:01:22,459 --> 00:01:25,170 but there was a point where 25 00:01:25,170 --> 00:01:27,505 the world at large moved on from it and they didn't. 26 00:01:27,505 --> 00:01:32,719 And they went from being valid to invalid [chuckles] so fast. 27 00:01:32,719 --> 00:01:35,096 [audience cheers, applause] 28 00:01:35,096 --> 00:01:37,098 LES WEXNER: The intriguing thing to me 29 00:01:37,098 --> 00:01:38,642 is that as I get older and older, 30 00:01:38,642 --> 00:01:42,187 staying in touch with what society, young women want. 31 00:01:44,147 --> 00:01:46,441 You have to keep flexibility 'cause the world changes 32 00:01:46,441 --> 00:01:48,068 and you have to change with it. 33 00:01:51,988 --> 00:01:53,448 SHARLEEN ERNSTER: The downfall of Victoria's Secret 34 00:01:53,448 --> 00:01:58,453 really came from Les's inability, in my opinion, 35 00:01:58,453 --> 00:02:04,292 to see the success of fashion through any lens other than his own. 36 00:02:05,961 --> 00:02:09,381 He believed we were making a movie with the brand, 37 00:02:09,381 --> 00:02:14,427 but it was always very tilted to this kind of Zeus, you know, like, 38 00:02:14,427 --> 00:02:17,222 one person knows all things. 39 00:02:17,222 --> 00:02:21,393 In fact, at some point after I had already left, um, Victoria's Secret, 40 00:02:21,393 --> 00:02:24,938 Les, evidently, said something to the tune of, 41 00:02:24,938 --> 00:02:29,109 "Am I the only one in the room who knows what women want?" 42 00:02:29,109 --> 00:02:32,696 It doesn't totally surprise me because 43 00:02:32,696 --> 00:02:37,242 he was so egotistically strong in his belief that this is what works, 44 00:02:37,242 --> 00:02:40,245 that he wasn't open to it changing. 45 00:02:41,079 --> 00:02:44,207 REPORTER: This morning, an ad for Victoria's Secret 46 00:02:44,207 --> 00:02:45,584 undergarments is under fire. 47 00:02:45,584 --> 00:02:51,006 "The Perfect Body," those three small but powerful words, igniting outrage. 48 00:02:52,549 --> 00:02:54,301 FREDERIQUE VAN DER WAL: Over the years, 49 00:02:54,301 --> 00:02:58,305 Victoria became something unattainable. 50 00:02:58,305 --> 00:03:01,975 It was too sexy. Like, it's not real anymore. 51 00:03:02,893 --> 00:03:06,438 "I have to have a six-pack." R-Ridiculous idea. 52 00:03:07,147 --> 00:03:09,941 And that's when the disconnect started. 53 00:03:09,941 --> 00:03:12,068 - This morning, women's clothing company Lane Bryant 54 00:03:12,068 --> 00:03:15,822 is chiming in on the conversation about beauty and body image 55 00:03:15,822 --> 00:03:18,909 with a new marketing campaign called "I'm No Angel." 56 00:03:18,909 --> 00:03:20,952 - I'm no angel. - I'm no angel. 57 00:03:20,952 --> 00:03:22,746 MODELS: I'm no angel... - I'm no angel. 58 00:03:22,746 --> 00:03:25,790 NICOLE: There were changes that we were seeing happen 59 00:03:25,790 --> 00:03:28,627 in competitive lingerie brands 60 00:03:28,627 --> 00:03:33,006 in terms of body size, in terms of diversity. 61 00:03:33,006 --> 00:03:37,093 And it felt like a new era was dawning. 62 00:03:37,761 --> 00:03:39,429 REPORTER: Declaring, "We're all angels," 63 00:03:39,429 --> 00:03:43,558 they're fighting back against the iconic brand Victoria's Secret. 64 00:03:43,558 --> 00:03:47,270 - When social media came in and really changed the media landscape, 65 00:03:47,270 --> 00:03:51,441 that's when the boat kind of started to really, like, shake. 66 00:03:52,275 --> 00:03:55,904 And the change was really fast-paced. 67 00:03:55,904 --> 00:03:58,990 All of a sudden, there was this outburst of, 68 00:03:58,990 --> 00:04:02,827 "We don't wanna see Photoshop. Like, we wanna see real women." 69 00:04:02,827 --> 00:04:06,915 Brands like Aerie came out with no retouching campaigns. 70 00:04:06,915 --> 00:04:10,669 Brands like ThirdLove came out and it was marketed more towards women 71 00:04:10,669 --> 00:04:14,130 versus this man's fantasy sold to women. 72 00:04:15,048 --> 00:04:18,301 - Real women don't have pillow fights with each other every night. 73 00:04:18,301 --> 00:04:21,179 You know, real women, I don't think, sit around with their legs spread 74 00:04:21,179 --> 00:04:23,890 and they're, like, posing at the camera. 75 00:04:23,890 --> 00:04:27,018 And it came to a point in time where women were like, 76 00:04:27,018 --> 00:04:28,812 "No, I'm not really buying into this." 77 00:04:30,730 --> 00:04:32,732 [audience applause] 78 00:04:32,732 --> 00:04:35,360 - A Victoria's Secret in Texas banned a woman 79 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,988 from breastfeeding her son in the lingerie store. 80 00:04:37,988 --> 00:04:40,282 Apparently, they don't want anyone to get the wrong idea 81 00:04:40,282 --> 00:04:42,284 about what breasts are for. 82 00:04:42,284 --> 00:04:44,160 [audience laughs] 83 00:04:45,912 --> 00:04:48,331 - There's all these things that they were saying 84 00:04:48,331 --> 00:04:51,793 or doing, internally, that were against the grain 85 00:04:51,793 --> 00:04:54,170 of where the market seemed to be going, 86 00:04:54,170 --> 00:04:55,922 but they were still at the top 87 00:04:55,922 --> 00:04:58,341 because it takes time for all of that to crumble. 88 00:04:59,801 --> 00:05:03,847 LES: I think technology is going to aid retail, uh, 89 00:05:03,847 --> 00:05:05,432 much more dramatically 90 00:05:05,432 --> 00:05:08,602 than technology is just, "You buy it online." 91 00:05:09,978 --> 00:05:12,188 MICHAEL: Les Wexner had been the king 92 00:05:12,188 --> 00:05:13,982 of brick-and-mortar retail. 93 00:05:15,108 --> 00:05:18,403 But every career ends at some point. 94 00:05:18,403 --> 00:05:21,781 And in Wexner's case, it ended when the meteor 95 00:05:21,781 --> 00:05:26,328 of social media, online shopping, Instagram, all of that 96 00:05:26,328 --> 00:05:30,373 suddenly hit the fashion world and reconfigured it as something else. 97 00:05:31,416 --> 00:05:35,212 SHARLEEN: The social revolution happened so fast, 98 00:05:35,212 --> 00:05:38,673 iPhones, and Instagram, and online shopping. 99 00:05:38,673 --> 00:05:41,134 These were kind of his blindsides. 100 00:05:43,136 --> 00:05:45,013 SARA ZOFKO: It's kind of nuts to think that 101 00:05:45,013 --> 00:05:46,765 a company that was so innovative 102 00:05:46,765 --> 00:05:48,350 couldn't keep up with technology. 103 00:05:52,062 --> 00:05:53,939 TOMMY TON: With the whole boom of the internet, 104 00:05:53,939 --> 00:05:56,858 it's like a community that's growing so fast. 105 00:05:56,858 --> 00:05:59,861 It's the fact that you can have your voice heard. 106 00:06:00,612 --> 00:06:03,156 Digital media really democratized fashion. 107 00:06:03,782 --> 00:06:06,534 Tavi Gevinson was this 13-year-old blogger, 108 00:06:06,534 --> 00:06:08,620 and all of a sudden, in 2010, 109 00:06:08,620 --> 00:06:11,456 she was placed front row next to Anna Wintour at a fashion show. 110 00:06:12,749 --> 00:06:16,044 That was representative of the shift in power in the industry. 111 00:06:16,044 --> 00:06:17,295 So, from then on, 112 00:06:17,295 --> 00:06:20,298 brands were more open to the idea of digital media. 113 00:06:22,259 --> 00:06:25,345 Victoria's Secret started casting more models 114 00:06:25,345 --> 00:06:27,138 that had a bigger social media following. 115 00:06:28,848 --> 00:06:30,392 NICOLE: These young women, 116 00:06:30,392 --> 00:06:32,269 you know, they're brands in themselves, 117 00:06:32,269 --> 00:06:37,023 and in many cases, their followings totally dwarf 118 00:06:37,023 --> 00:06:41,444 the followings of the brands that are hiring them. 119 00:06:41,444 --> 00:06:46,866 It gives these young models an enormous amount of power. 120 00:06:46,866 --> 00:06:48,034 [all cheering] 121 00:06:48,034 --> 00:06:50,745 TOMMY: Victoria's Secret was definitely reaping the benefits, 122 00:06:50,745 --> 00:06:54,040 but at the same time, it kind of bit them in the butt 123 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,501 because the models could speak on their own behalf 124 00:06:56,501 --> 00:06:59,754 and not feel intimidated by a bigger brand. 125 00:07:00,714 --> 00:07:03,258 LYNDSEY SCOTT: The traditional media isn't controlling everything anymore. 126 00:07:03,717 --> 00:07:09,014 People are letting these brands know that we're ready for so much more 127 00:07:09,014 --> 00:07:11,641 than they thought we were, as a society. 128 00:07:16,521 --> 00:07:18,523 ED RAZEK: You can be fierce. You can be strong. 129 00:07:18,523 --> 00:07:21,109 You are emissaries of a very positive message 130 00:07:21,109 --> 00:07:23,737 and you need to do that and only you can do that. 131 00:07:23,737 --> 00:07:25,155 I love you all. 132 00:07:25,155 --> 00:07:27,073 MODELS: Love you! [cheering] 133 00:07:29,284 --> 00:07:32,120 CASEY CROWE TAYLOR: As I was brought more into this 134 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:33,788 inner circle world, 135 00:07:34,372 --> 00:07:37,000 the culture just started to feel heavy on me. 136 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,294 [indistinct chatter] 137 00:07:41,922 --> 00:07:44,132 I remember being on set once 138 00:07:44,132 --> 00:07:47,510 and Ed made the comment that women only work out 139 00:07:47,510 --> 00:07:49,512 to look good naked for men. 140 00:07:50,347 --> 00:07:54,684 There was always this understanding that, like, "That was just Ed." 141 00:07:55,644 --> 00:07:57,896 SHARLEEN: You never knew what was gonna come out of his mouth. 142 00:07:57,896 --> 00:08:01,358 It was, like, a whole different set of rules that he lived by. 143 00:08:03,693 --> 00:08:06,821 CASEY: In June of 2015, we were on set. 144 00:08:06,821 --> 00:08:10,492 It's lunchtime and they set up a buffet. 145 00:08:10,492 --> 00:08:14,788 I was going up to get more and Ed physically stopped me, 146 00:08:14,788 --> 00:08:16,915 like stepped in front of me, 147 00:08:16,915 --> 00:08:20,085 and said, "Are you really gonna go get more food?" 148 00:08:20,085 --> 00:08:22,045 And I just kind of froze. 149 00:08:25,173 --> 00:08:26,925 And he is like, 150 00:08:26,925 --> 00:08:30,804 "I really don't know how you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning." 151 00:08:32,764 --> 00:08:36,309 I then walked to the bathroom and I'm just... hot with humiliation. 152 00:08:36,309 --> 00:08:37,435 I'm shaking. 153 00:08:37,852 --> 00:08:42,774 It was so confusing, and hurtful, and just, like, shocking 154 00:08:43,858 --> 00:08:46,152 being bullied and harassed, 155 00:08:46,152 --> 00:08:48,530 out of nowhere, in front of 156 00:08:48,530 --> 00:08:50,865 the world's biggest supermodels. 157 00:08:52,909 --> 00:08:55,161 I realized... this is not normal, 158 00:08:55,161 --> 00:08:57,455 this should not be an acceptable thing to happen, 159 00:08:57,455 --> 00:09:01,459 but his behavior was just so normalized. 160 00:09:02,335 --> 00:09:03,920 Maybe a week later, 161 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:08,717 Monica Mitro puts up an elbow on my cubicle wall and says, 162 00:09:08,717 --> 00:09:10,176 "By the way, Casey, 163 00:09:10,176 --> 00:09:13,513 Ed makes some really weird jokes sometimes, doesn't he?" 164 00:09:13,513 --> 00:09:19,144 It was pretty much that day I immediately started looking for, for other jobs. 165 00:09:21,229 --> 00:09:24,482 LES: The aspect of leadership that I find is most important 166 00:09:24,482 --> 00:09:27,903 is that leaders lead themselves effectively, 167 00:09:27,903 --> 00:09:32,574 and clearly, leaders do take their followers, their flock, 168 00:09:32,574 --> 00:09:37,203 their enterprise, their business, whatever, hopefully, to a better place. 169 00:09:39,456 --> 00:09:42,083 CINDY FEDUS-FIELDS: Beginning in 2016, 170 00:09:42,083 --> 00:09:45,962 Victoria's Secret's profitability 171 00:09:45,962 --> 00:09:50,717 started its rather steep and downward trend. 172 00:09:52,219 --> 00:09:57,599 So... something happened in 2016 173 00:09:57,599 --> 00:10:01,228 that should've gotten somebody's attention. 174 00:10:01,228 --> 00:10:03,521 [indistinct shouting] 175 00:10:04,648 --> 00:10:07,108 ALL: [chanting] This is what democracy looks like! 176 00:10:10,153 --> 00:10:13,698 MICHAEL: The MeToo movement, the consciousness change 177 00:10:13,698 --> 00:10:16,534 has been universal, 178 00:10:17,202 --> 00:10:22,332 sudden, but really it was like water building up behind a dam, 179 00:10:23,083 --> 00:10:24,125 and the dam broke, 180 00:10:24,125 --> 00:10:26,920 and there is no puttin' that dam back together again. 181 00:10:28,838 --> 00:10:32,884 CINDY: When the Harvey Weinstein accusations 182 00:10:32,884 --> 00:10:36,680 and the MeToo movement ramped up, 183 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:38,932 that was a signal. 184 00:10:38,932 --> 00:10:42,602 Les... missed the change. 185 00:10:42,602 --> 00:10:46,273 He didn't call it... correctly. 186 00:10:49,609 --> 00:10:52,612 - Back in, uh, I guess it was August or September of last year, 187 00:10:52,612 --> 00:10:55,323 I had a meeting with Harvey Weinstein at Miramax. 188 00:10:55,323 --> 00:10:58,660 CINDY: In fact, for the 2000 fashion show 189 00:10:58,660 --> 00:11:00,203 that took place in Cannes, 190 00:11:00,203 --> 00:11:02,914 Harvey Weinstein and Ed Razek 191 00:11:02,914 --> 00:11:05,083 worked closely together. 192 00:11:08,044 --> 00:11:11,339 Then, sometime after, 193 00:11:11,339 --> 00:11:15,927 Harvey Weinstein personally showed up 194 00:11:15,927 --> 00:11:18,013 in the New York offices 195 00:11:18,388 --> 00:11:20,599 with a young woman in tow 196 00:11:21,683 --> 00:11:26,646 wanting her to be made a Victoria's Secret model. 197 00:11:27,272 --> 00:11:31,109 And said he had been sent by Razek. 198 00:11:32,235 --> 00:11:36,781 And the fact that Weinstein, at the suggestion of Razek, 199 00:11:36,781 --> 00:11:41,411 might show up trying to get a young woman a job 200 00:11:41,870 --> 00:11:44,414 is not only poor form, it's tasteless. 201 00:11:45,749 --> 00:11:51,755 If there's some connection between Epstein, Weinstein, Razek, 202 00:11:51,755 --> 00:11:54,174 your business is going south, 203 00:11:54,174 --> 00:11:58,345 wouldn't that lead you to say, "What's going on here?" 204 00:11:58,345 --> 00:12:02,807 Especially somebody like Les 205 00:12:02,807 --> 00:12:05,143 who was so observant. 206 00:12:06,394 --> 00:12:11,233 But that kind of behavior was indicative 207 00:12:11,233 --> 00:12:16,905 of... other behavior at Victoria's Secret. 208 00:12:18,031 --> 00:12:20,033 [audience applause] 209 00:12:20,033 --> 00:12:22,035 [indistinct chatter] 210 00:12:22,994 --> 00:12:27,874 NICOLE: Suddenly, in 2018, you had Savage Fenty, 211 00:12:27,874 --> 00:12:29,709 the brand run by 212 00:12:29,709 --> 00:12:32,671 one of the world's biggest pop stars. 213 00:12:33,672 --> 00:12:36,007 REPORTER: Companies like Rihanna's Savage X Fenty 214 00:12:36,007 --> 00:12:39,386 are showing beautiful women of all shapes and sizes. 215 00:12:39,386 --> 00:12:42,180 RIHANNA: I wanted people to feel that, that energy. 216 00:12:42,180 --> 00:12:43,640 I want them to feel all the different body types, 217 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,476 all the different women in different stages of their womanhood, 218 00:12:46,476 --> 00:12:48,478 and... it was fun. 219 00:12:49,187 --> 00:12:52,023 MICHAEL: When Rihanna put real women 220 00:12:52,023 --> 00:12:54,985 out on the runway, 221 00:12:54,985 --> 00:12:57,279 that was actually socially transformative. 222 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,033 LYNDSEY: People are spending money after seeing inclusion. 223 00:13:02,033 --> 00:13:06,204 They want to see the clothes on their body type before they buy it. 224 00:13:06,204 --> 00:13:09,499 Diversity isn't just pandering, it's a smart business move, 225 00:13:09,499 --> 00:13:11,751 and Rihanna's business is proof of that. 226 00:13:12,669 --> 00:13:16,298 JAMES SCULLY: When people saw that, they were like, "I now see myself." 227 00:13:16,923 --> 00:13:18,008 I mean, then all of a sudden, 228 00:13:18,008 --> 00:13:21,094 Victoria's Secret just looked like a complete dinosaur. 229 00:13:21,094 --> 00:13:23,013 ♪ 230 00:13:33,189 --> 00:13:34,774 NICOLE: In 2018, 231 00:13:34,774 --> 00:13:37,027 I remember being in an edit meeting at Vogue 232 00:13:37,027 --> 00:13:40,322 and saying, "Let's do a story 233 00:13:40,322 --> 00:13:43,241 about how Victoria's Secret should change." 234 00:13:44,993 --> 00:13:49,247 Ed Razek agreed to sit down for an interview. 235 00:13:49,247 --> 00:13:53,251 And so, I went into the Victoria's Secret office. 236 00:13:53,251 --> 00:13:55,253 [recording plays] 237 00:13:59,466 --> 00:14:04,512 Monica Mitro, who was the executive VP of public relations was there. 238 00:14:05,430 --> 00:14:07,933 There was also a PR person in the room. 239 00:14:07,933 --> 00:14:09,726 [recording plays] 240 00:14:14,898 --> 00:14:18,693 I was essentially giving Ed and Monica 241 00:14:18,693 --> 00:14:22,781 a chance to start rewriting Victoria's Secret history. 242 00:14:22,781 --> 00:14:24,783 [recording plays] 243 00:14:26,660 --> 00:14:28,662 ED: Uh, does the brand think about diversity? Yes. 244 00:14:28,662 --> 00:14:30,538 Do we offer larger sizes? Yes. 245 00:14:30,538 --> 00:14:33,708 - And we were discussing the disruptors 246 00:14:33,708 --> 00:14:38,672 that were emerging and becoming truly competitive for Victoria's Secret. 247 00:14:38,672 --> 00:14:42,467 ED: Everybody, uh, keeps talking about Rihanna's show. 248 00:14:42,467 --> 00:14:44,970 If we had done Rihanna's show, 249 00:14:44,970 --> 00:14:48,932 we would be accused of pandering without question. 250 00:14:48,932 --> 00:14:50,141 NICOLE: Because why? 251 00:14:50,141 --> 00:14:53,603 ED: Because the brand has a specific image, 252 00:14:53,603 --> 00:14:56,314 has a point of view, has a history. 253 00:14:56,314 --> 00:15:00,110 - He discounted the brands that were emerging 254 00:15:00,110 --> 00:15:03,572 because of the changing culture. 255 00:15:04,030 --> 00:15:05,657 ED: We're nobody's ThirdLove. 256 00:15:05,657 --> 00:15:07,409 We're their first love. 257 00:15:07,409 --> 00:15:09,619 HEIDI ZAK: The morning the Vogue article hit, 258 00:15:09,619 --> 00:15:11,621 I woke up and I had a bunch of text messages, 259 00:15:11,621 --> 00:15:13,540 and people were like, "Have you seen this article?" 260 00:15:14,124 --> 00:15:16,501 I read the article and my mouth fell to the floor. 261 00:15:17,419 --> 00:15:20,547 I could not believe the things that came out of his mouth. 262 00:15:20,547 --> 00:15:24,050 ED: We attempted to do a television special for plus size. 263 00:15:24,050 --> 00:15:26,595 No one had any interest in it, still don't. 264 00:15:27,470 --> 00:15:33,226 - I mentioned how we had started seeing more transgender models in fashion. 265 00:15:33,226 --> 00:15:34,853 ED: "Why doesn't your show do this?" 266 00:15:34,853 --> 00:15:37,063 "Shouldn't you have transsexuals in the show?" 267 00:15:37,063 --> 00:15:39,441 No, I don't think we should. "Well, why not?" 268 00:15:39,441 --> 00:15:41,610 I said, "Because the show is a fantasy." 269 00:15:41,610 --> 00:15:43,612 [recording plays] 270 00:15:46,948 --> 00:15:49,034 NICOLE: I filed that story, 271 00:15:49,034 --> 00:15:51,870 and my first feedback was, 272 00:15:51,870 --> 00:15:54,748 "Wow, you've really let them hang themselves." 273 00:15:54,748 --> 00:15:57,584 And that is what Ed did. 274 00:15:57,584 --> 00:15:59,586 [recording plays] 275 00:16:00,212 --> 00:16:02,047 [Nicole laughs] 276 00:16:02,714 --> 00:16:04,799 REPORTER: While Razek later apologized, 277 00:16:04,799 --> 00:16:07,677 his interview unleashed an angry response. 278 00:16:07,677 --> 00:16:11,014 - As luck would have it, we actually had drafted an open letter 279 00:16:11,014 --> 00:16:15,560 to Victoria's Secret earlier in the year that we ended up not publishing. 280 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,812 And when this happened, 281 00:16:17,812 --> 00:16:23,026 it was an opportunity to offer a clear alternative, and it worked. 282 00:16:23,026 --> 00:16:27,072 REPORTER: ThirdLove says revenue has increased 300% 283 00:16:27,072 --> 00:16:28,907 each of the last two years. 284 00:16:30,283 --> 00:16:32,452 NICOLE: My article, and the sort of 285 00:16:32,452 --> 00:16:35,038 media blitz that followed it, 286 00:16:35,038 --> 00:16:40,126 and the uproar on social media 287 00:16:40,126 --> 00:16:42,420 really sort of sealed the deal. 288 00:16:42,420 --> 00:16:44,005 REPORTER 1: One of last night's performers, Halsey, 289 00:16:44,005 --> 00:16:45,006 is making some headlines this morning. 290 00:16:45,006 --> 00:16:47,008 She did respond to the controversial comments 291 00:16:47,008 --> 00:16:48,927 about transgender models, which were made... 292 00:16:48,927 --> 00:16:51,555 REPORTER 2: Model Karlie Kloss telling Vogue magazine, 293 00:16:51,555 --> 00:16:55,642 "I didn't feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am 294 00:16:55,642 --> 00:16:59,229 and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world." 295 00:16:59,229 --> 00:17:01,856 REPORTER 3: Bella Hadid saying she felt the most confident 296 00:17:01,856 --> 00:17:04,276 during Rihanna's Savage Fenty show. 297 00:17:04,276 --> 00:17:07,153 - When I first did Fenty, I was doing other-- 298 00:17:07,153 --> 00:17:08,530 There's other lingerie shows, 299 00:17:08,530 --> 00:17:13,618 and I never felt powerful on a runway, like, in my underwear. 300 00:17:14,244 --> 00:17:15,495 NICOLE: When those models 301 00:17:15,495 --> 00:17:19,958 with their enormous platforms started speaking out, 302 00:17:19,958 --> 00:17:22,335 they wound up, you know, in a, in a crisis point. 303 00:17:22,878 --> 00:17:24,880 [recording plays] 304 00:17:31,303 --> 00:17:33,972 ♪ 305 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:39,936 REPORTER 1: After two decades, 306 00:17:39,936 --> 00:17:43,273 the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is over. 307 00:17:43,273 --> 00:17:46,109 The company's saying they plan to evolve the messaging 308 00:17:46,109 --> 00:17:49,696 and cut back on costly marketing events. 309 00:17:49,696 --> 00:17:54,826 REPORTER 2: L Brand's reported over a $250 million loss last quarter. 310 00:17:54,826 --> 00:17:57,162 REPORTER 3: Ratings for the show have plummeted as well. 311 00:17:57,162 --> 00:18:00,248 Last year's were the lowest since they started televising it. 312 00:18:00,248 --> 00:18:03,293 The company's sales also struggling. 313 00:18:03,293 --> 00:18:07,088 NICOLE: It took almost a year for Ed to step down. 314 00:18:07,088 --> 00:18:10,008 And I think what that told me 315 00:18:10,008 --> 00:18:14,763 was just how important he was to the brand and to Les. 316 00:18:16,014 --> 00:18:18,600 WOMAN: At this point, they have too much brand baggage 317 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:20,185 to recalibrate from. 318 00:18:20,185 --> 00:18:21,478 JAMES MITAROTONDA: Numbers were declining, 319 00:18:21,478 --> 00:18:24,898 revenues were declining, earnings were declining. 320 00:18:24,898 --> 00:18:29,319 The stock peaked at $100.22 321 00:18:29,319 --> 00:18:31,780 on November 2015. 322 00:18:31,780 --> 00:18:34,199 And by the beginning of 2019, 323 00:18:34,199 --> 00:18:37,202 the stock was trading at just over $26. 324 00:18:40,580 --> 00:18:44,459 - A wealthy money manager whose friends have included presidents and a prince 325 00:18:44,459 --> 00:18:46,711 is behind bars in Manhattan tonight. 326 00:18:46,711 --> 00:18:49,047 Jeffrey Epstein is accused of sex trafficking 327 00:18:49,047 --> 00:18:51,258 and molesting underage girls. 328 00:18:52,425 --> 00:18:56,680 BARRY LEVINE: With Epstein's second arrest, this time, 329 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,933 it was... like a bomb exploded. 330 00:18:59,933 --> 00:19:04,479 And so, everything around Jeffrey Epstein, every association he had, 331 00:19:04,479 --> 00:19:07,607 uh, was under the microscope now. 332 00:19:08,525 --> 00:19:10,110 REPORTER: The L Brand's board of directors 333 00:19:10,110 --> 00:19:13,154 has enlisted an outside firm to conduct a review 334 00:19:13,154 --> 00:19:16,449 of Jeffrey Epstein's role at the retail company. 335 00:19:16,449 --> 00:19:19,327 BARRY: The company actually hired Davis Polk, 336 00:19:19,327 --> 00:19:23,164 which was Abigail Wexner's former law firm in, in New York 337 00:19:23,164 --> 00:19:26,042 to do one of the investigations. 338 00:19:26,042 --> 00:19:28,128 SARAH ELLISON: The implications are very cloudy, 339 00:19:28,128 --> 00:19:33,717 but with the relationship between Wexner and Epstein in the spotlight, 340 00:19:33,717 --> 00:19:37,804 and the fact that Epstein claimed that he was a Victoria's Secret recruiter, 341 00:19:38,471 --> 00:19:42,058 the company was forced to distance itself 342 00:19:42,058 --> 00:19:45,812 from any connection to Epstein. 343 00:19:45,812 --> 00:19:51,318 And Wexner sort of posits that he had no idea that any of this was going on, 344 00:19:51,318 --> 00:19:52,861 and that years afore, 345 00:19:52,861 --> 00:19:55,780 he had immediately cut ties 346 00:19:55,780 --> 00:19:59,242 with Epstein after his first arrest, 347 00:19:59,242 --> 00:20:03,872 where he did remove power of attorney, but it took more than a year. 348 00:20:04,664 --> 00:20:07,918 - Everyone has to feel, uh, enormous regret, 349 00:20:07,918 --> 00:20:10,712 uh, for the advantage, 350 00:20:10,712 --> 00:20:14,174 uh, that was taken of, uh, of so many young women. 351 00:20:14,174 --> 00:20:19,638 And, uh, that's just unexplainable, abhorrent behavior, 352 00:20:19,638 --> 00:20:22,682 and, uh, clearly, uh, is something 353 00:20:22,682 --> 00:20:26,686 we, we, we all, uh... would condemn. 354 00:20:27,562 --> 00:20:29,648 SARAH: A recently obtained investigation 355 00:20:29,648 --> 00:20:32,192 paints a different picture for L Brands. 356 00:20:32,192 --> 00:20:34,110 When Epstein was first arrested, 357 00:20:34,110 --> 00:20:36,738 documents suggest that L Brands directly aided 358 00:20:36,738 --> 00:20:39,950 Epstein's legal defense in 2006. 359 00:20:41,034 --> 00:20:43,828 One of his accusers happened to have worked for Victoria's Secret, 360 00:20:43,828 --> 00:20:45,372 and the L Brand's legal department 361 00:20:45,372 --> 00:20:48,208 sent over employee records regarding this accuser. 362 00:20:48,208 --> 00:20:50,210 ♪ 363 00:20:53,380 --> 00:20:56,049 These records were not subpoenaed. 364 00:20:56,049 --> 00:20:59,678 They were provided voluntarily by L Brands, aiding Epstein. 365 00:21:01,429 --> 00:21:04,432 This information was never publicly reported. 366 00:21:04,432 --> 00:21:06,434 ♪ 367 00:21:31,543 --> 00:21:33,920 WHITNEY WEBB: After Epstein's second arrest, 368 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,631 everyone that has ever been connected to this man 369 00:21:36,631 --> 00:21:40,677 has done everything humanly possible to distance themselves from him. 370 00:21:41,761 --> 00:21:43,054 JESSICA RALSTON: Ohio's richest man, 371 00:21:43,054 --> 00:21:45,181 L Brands founder Les Wexner, says 372 00:21:45,181 --> 00:21:47,642 disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein 373 00:21:47,642 --> 00:21:51,479 mismanaged tens of millions of Wexner's dollars. 374 00:21:51,479 --> 00:21:54,774 SARAH: In the wake of all these terrible allegations, 375 00:21:54,774 --> 00:21:58,278 Wexner talks about his own betrayal by Epstein. 376 00:21:58,278 --> 00:22:00,989 That, in fact, Wexner himself is a victim. 377 00:22:02,616 --> 00:22:07,203 TIM FERAN: Around, I guess it was January of 2019, 378 00:22:07,203 --> 00:22:08,455 I got a tip 379 00:22:08,455 --> 00:22:13,668 that I should look into certain charitable funds 380 00:22:13,668 --> 00:22:16,129 associated with Wexner, 381 00:22:16,129 --> 00:22:19,049 and one of them happened to be a fund 382 00:22:19,549 --> 00:22:22,219 called the YLK Fund. 383 00:22:22,636 --> 00:22:25,180 Those are the initials of Abigail's father, 384 00:22:25,180 --> 00:22:27,182 Yehuda L. Koppel. 385 00:22:28,391 --> 00:22:31,394 This fund was created 386 00:22:31,394 --> 00:22:35,690 around the time of Epstein's case in Florida, 387 00:22:35,690 --> 00:22:38,235 and the president of the fund 388 00:22:38,235 --> 00:22:42,405 was Les Wexner's wife, Abigail, 389 00:22:42,405 --> 00:22:47,786 and the money was $46-some-million put in there 390 00:22:47,786 --> 00:22:49,496 by Epstein. 391 00:22:50,330 --> 00:22:56,044 And it-it's jolting because they're taking money from this guy 392 00:22:56,044 --> 00:22:59,506 who's being convicted 393 00:22:59,506 --> 00:23:02,467 of child abuse, basically. 394 00:23:03,051 --> 00:23:07,430 Les claims that it was money that was stolen from him 395 00:23:07,430 --> 00:23:12,644 and was put back quietly so that he wouldn't be embarrassed. 396 00:23:13,478 --> 00:23:16,481 CONCHITA SARNOFF: Wexner admitted that 397 00:23:16,481 --> 00:23:20,777 Epstein stole money from him, 398 00:23:20,777 --> 00:23:24,239 more than the $46.7 million. 399 00:23:24,239 --> 00:23:28,285 And it was money that should have been reported immediately. 400 00:23:29,494 --> 00:23:31,246 LES: Being taken advantage of 401 00:23:31,246 --> 00:23:35,250 by someone who was, uh, so sick, 402 00:23:35,250 --> 00:23:40,046 so cunning, uh, s-so depraved, um, 403 00:23:40,046 --> 00:23:42,257 it's, uh, it's, it's something that I'm embarrassed 404 00:23:42,257 --> 00:23:43,925 that I was even close to. 405 00:23:47,178 --> 00:23:50,390 SARAH: Wexner is known as being litigious, 406 00:23:50,390 --> 00:23:52,267 and yet, he won't pursue Epstein 407 00:23:52,267 --> 00:23:55,687 for stealing millions upon millions of dollars. 408 00:23:56,521 --> 00:24:02,319 To allow that level of betrayal and dishonesty to happen, 409 00:24:02,319 --> 00:24:07,365 unpunished, um, is entirely unexplained. 410 00:24:10,035 --> 00:24:11,870 TIM: Why didn't you sue him? 411 00:24:11,870 --> 00:24:14,372 What's that all about? 412 00:24:14,372 --> 00:24:17,000 I don't know. I-- It just-- 413 00:24:18,376 --> 00:24:21,463 It just doesn't seem to add up to me. 414 00:24:21,463 --> 00:24:23,798 ♪ 415 00:24:27,928 --> 00:24:30,931 SARAH: Wexner has never specified 416 00:24:30,931 --> 00:24:33,934 how much money he paid Jeffrey Epstein 417 00:24:33,934 --> 00:24:37,312 during the time that Epstein worked for him. 418 00:24:37,312 --> 00:24:38,980 But in my reporting, 419 00:24:38,980 --> 00:24:43,985 the best estimates hover around $400 million. 420 00:24:47,572 --> 00:24:51,785 CONCHITA: Leslie Wexner was a protector 421 00:24:51,785 --> 00:24:56,456 and seemed to be a facilitator for Jeffrey Epstein 422 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:02,045 because he was the money man behind Epstein. 423 00:25:02,045 --> 00:25:06,091 And I also believe they had a very complicated relationship 424 00:25:06,091 --> 00:25:09,886 financially, personally, and in many other ways. 425 00:25:22,482 --> 00:25:23,858 No. 426 00:25:24,901 --> 00:25:26,903 ♪ 427 00:25:34,452 --> 00:25:36,663 - What exactly was the relationship? 428 00:25:38,081 --> 00:25:41,585 We know that it was more than a financial adviser, 429 00:25:41,585 --> 00:25:44,337 whether it was building his yacht, 430 00:25:44,337 --> 00:25:47,966 project managing things for him, like New Albany. 431 00:25:48,925 --> 00:25:52,721 Being involved in his personal life and his family in a way, 432 00:25:53,722 --> 00:25:58,518 it seems pretty clear that Epstein knew Wexner in a way 433 00:25:58,518 --> 00:26:03,523 that very few other people did and maybe no one else did. 434 00:26:08,069 --> 00:26:10,864 TIM: I've heard rumors over the years 435 00:26:10,864 --> 00:26:14,868 about Les's sexual orientation. 436 00:26:15,911 --> 00:26:19,998 But here's the thing... do we have anybody firsthand? 437 00:26:19,998 --> 00:26:25,337 Do we have anybody secondhand who can say, "Yes, I was involved with Les." 438 00:26:26,546 --> 00:26:28,548 Do these people exist? 439 00:26:29,549 --> 00:26:34,763 If they exist, I've never heard of them. I'd never met them. 440 00:26:37,515 --> 00:26:39,517 SOPHIE ALEXANDER: There are all these questions 441 00:26:39,517 --> 00:26:42,270 about the relationship that 442 00:26:42,270 --> 00:26:47,359 no one but Les Wexner probably knows the answer to 443 00:26:47,692 --> 00:26:51,696 because now Epstein's dead, and so, he took that to his grave. 444 00:26:55,575 --> 00:26:57,953 - Good morning. This is an NBC News special report. 445 00:26:57,953 --> 00:26:59,788 NBC News has learned that 446 00:26:59,788 --> 00:27:03,124 disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is dead. 447 00:27:03,124 --> 00:27:07,379 Epstein took his own life while he was behind bars here in New York... 448 00:27:07,379 --> 00:27:11,216 GLORIA ALLRED: The medical examiner said that it was suicide. 449 00:27:11,967 --> 00:27:14,844 There're a number of red flags. 450 00:27:14,844 --> 00:27:19,349 I'm not generally a person who believes in 451 00:27:19,349 --> 00:27:21,977 conspiracies unless they're proven, 452 00:27:23,895 --> 00:27:26,690 but this should never have happened. 453 00:27:26,690 --> 00:27:29,693 And there's so many questions that need to be answered. 454 00:27:29,693 --> 00:27:32,153 - The wound is down here. 455 00:27:32,153 --> 00:27:34,406 You'd think if somebody hung themselves, 456 00:27:34,406 --> 00:27:37,284 the wound would be maybe up here. - Yeah. Yes. 457 00:27:37,284 --> 00:27:39,619 Most hangings, the ligature slides up 458 00:27:39,619 --> 00:27:43,164 to beneath the, the, uh, jawbone, the mandible. 459 00:27:43,164 --> 00:27:44,833 Here, it's in the middle of the neck. 460 00:27:45,333 --> 00:27:49,671 And to add to it, there was a total breakdown in security. 461 00:27:49,671 --> 00:27:52,340 The video cameras didn't work, the guards went to sleep. 462 00:27:52,841 --> 00:27:55,969 CONCHITA: An active federal agent told me 463 00:27:55,969 --> 00:28:00,473 just days after he was arrested on July 6th of 2019, 464 00:28:00,473 --> 00:28:02,225 he said to me, on the phone, 465 00:28:02,225 --> 00:28:06,104 "Conchita, Epstein will not make it to trial." 466 00:28:07,188 --> 00:28:08,982 I said, "What do you mean?" 467 00:28:08,982 --> 00:28:11,651 And he said, "Just listen to what I'm telling you," 468 00:28:11,651 --> 00:28:13,486 and he repeated his statement. 469 00:28:13,486 --> 00:28:16,448 And of course, he didn't, you know, he didn't elaborate. 470 00:28:18,658 --> 00:28:22,829 GLORIA: So many victims wanted to see him face justice. 471 00:28:22,829 --> 00:28:26,166 They wanted their day in court. They'll never have it. 472 00:28:27,292 --> 00:28:30,378 And what that means is they were denied the whole truth, 473 00:28:30,378 --> 00:28:33,798 much of which could have come out at his trial. 474 00:28:33,798 --> 00:28:36,760 - Are these power players a priority for us right now? 475 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:38,011 Can we even touch them? 476 00:28:38,011 --> 00:28:39,596 - No, it's like everything, um. 477 00:28:39,596 --> 00:28:42,682 You know, we, we-- It hides in plain sight. 478 00:28:42,682 --> 00:28:44,059 Epstein was hiding in plain sight. 479 00:28:44,059 --> 00:28:45,393 We all knew about him. 480 00:28:45,393 --> 00:28:47,020 We all knew what he was doing, 481 00:28:47,020 --> 00:28:48,855 but we had no one that would go after him. 482 00:28:48,855 --> 00:28:51,316 They were afraid of him. For whatever reason, they were afraid... 483 00:28:51,316 --> 00:28:54,402 - This is Cindy McCain, the wife of John McCain, 484 00:28:54,402 --> 00:28:57,239 admitting at a conference that everyone knew what Epstein was up to. 485 00:28:57,239 --> 00:29:01,159 And this is the wife of a former Republican presidential candidate. 486 00:29:01,159 --> 00:29:04,287 You know, that's hugely significant to say that it was just known 487 00:29:04,287 --> 00:29:06,081 and that powerful circles did nothing about it. 488 00:29:06,748 --> 00:29:10,085 And so, that directly undercuts this whole narrative that, you know, 489 00:29:10,085 --> 00:29:12,629 "Oh, it was just Epstein and he conned everyone." 490 00:29:12,629 --> 00:29:16,049 But this didn't get really any mainstream coverage, um, at all. 491 00:29:16,591 --> 00:29:20,220 - People need to understand the fact that government, 492 00:29:21,054 --> 00:29:25,058 the financial world, specifically, the banking world, 493 00:29:25,058 --> 00:29:28,562 have enabled Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. 494 00:29:29,145 --> 00:29:31,106 BARRY: Epstein was a collector of people. 495 00:29:31,106 --> 00:29:34,859 Not only did he do financial business with these places, 496 00:29:34,859 --> 00:29:39,030 but he also used them to bolster, uh, his own profile, 497 00:29:39,030 --> 00:29:42,200 same way he did with Les Wexner. 498 00:29:42,742 --> 00:29:44,995 NOAH KULWIN: As a guy who had never graduated college, 499 00:29:44,995 --> 00:29:48,456 Jeffrey Epstein was correctly assuming that if he gave enough money, 500 00:29:48,456 --> 00:29:51,293 then he could wear the Harvard sweater around no problem. 501 00:29:51,293 --> 00:29:53,128 And he would get some of that sheen. 502 00:29:53,128 --> 00:29:56,006 And he was absolutely right. It worked flawlessly. 503 00:29:57,507 --> 00:30:00,010 BARRY: There's no question that in death, 504 00:30:00,010 --> 00:30:05,348 Jeffrey Epstein now is continuing to destroy the lives and the reputations 505 00:30:05,348 --> 00:30:08,393 of many wealthy men. 506 00:30:09,227 --> 00:30:11,980 REPORTER 1: Wall Street power broker Leon Black 507 00:30:11,980 --> 00:30:13,857 is stepping down as CEO of the giant investment... 508 00:30:13,857 --> 00:30:16,526 REPORTER 2: Vanity Fair dives into Epstein's relationship 509 00:30:16,526 --> 00:30:18,445 with billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin. 510 00:30:18,445 --> 00:30:21,448 REPORTER 3: Barclays CEO Jes Staley is stepping down, 511 00:30:21,448 --> 00:30:22,699 this following an investigation... 512 00:30:22,699 --> 00:30:25,327 REPORTER 4: Britain's Prince Andrew says he is appalled 513 00:30:25,327 --> 00:30:28,121 by recent sex abuse claims about his former friend. 514 00:30:28,121 --> 00:30:29,247 REPORTER 5: Former President Bill Clinton 515 00:30:29,247 --> 00:30:32,918 reportedly took more than two dozen trips on Epstein's private jet. 516 00:30:32,918 --> 00:30:34,502 REPORTER 6: Controversy also put a spotlight 517 00:30:34,502 --> 00:30:36,880 on President Trump's relationship with Epstein. 518 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:38,548 REPORTER 7: New questions are swirling around the state 519 00:30:38,548 --> 00:30:40,634 of Bill and Melinda Gates' marriage. 520 00:30:40,634 --> 00:30:42,552 One source of concern for Melinda 521 00:30:42,552 --> 00:30:46,264 was Bill's dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 522 00:30:46,264 --> 00:30:52,229 - Is there a lesson for you, for anyone else looking, looking at this? 523 00:30:52,229 --> 00:30:55,273 - Well, he's dead, so, uh, 524 00:30:55,273 --> 00:30:58,902 you know, in general, you always have to be careful, uh. 525 00:31:00,403 --> 00:31:03,156 BARRY: All of these men have claimed 526 00:31:03,156 --> 00:31:08,161 that they were not aware of Jeffrey Epstein's secret life 527 00:31:09,079 --> 00:31:14,084 and that they were not participants in that dark world. 528 00:31:26,304 --> 00:31:29,182 CONCHITA: This was not about some drug cartel 529 00:31:29,182 --> 00:31:32,185 trafficking children into the United States. 530 00:31:32,852 --> 00:31:37,566 This was about a rich man, who did not need money, 531 00:31:37,566 --> 00:31:41,570 so why was he bringing children from all over the world 532 00:31:42,195 --> 00:31:46,032 and introducing them to politicians and rich men? 533 00:31:46,032 --> 00:31:47,450 Why was he doing this? 534 00:31:48,243 --> 00:31:52,455 I believe that he needed them for something uniquely different. 535 00:31:53,415 --> 00:31:55,458 One, pleasure. 536 00:31:55,458 --> 00:31:58,628 And two, power. 537 00:31:59,087 --> 00:32:02,924 And that power came through blackmail. 538 00:32:02,924 --> 00:32:05,510 And that's what these girls were to him. 539 00:32:05,510 --> 00:32:09,389 They were a tool of blackmail. Period. 540 00:32:12,142 --> 00:32:14,811 WHITNEY: The earliest mention of this infrastructure 541 00:32:14,811 --> 00:32:18,106 being set up comes from The New York Times in 1996, 542 00:32:18,732 --> 00:32:22,819 talking about Epstein's mansion that he got from Wexner, 543 00:32:22,819 --> 00:32:26,990 where a lot of his notorious activities were known to have taken place. 544 00:32:27,532 --> 00:32:31,036 It describes this spy-style, James Bond bathroom 545 00:32:31,036 --> 00:32:35,999 connected to CCTV cameras throughout the premises. 546 00:32:35,999 --> 00:32:37,334 - Was there videotape? 547 00:32:37,334 --> 00:32:40,045 - Oh, yeah, it was all videoed, all the time. Yeah. 548 00:32:40,045 --> 00:32:41,796 And, and I asked him one time, "What do you do with this?" 549 00:32:41,796 --> 00:32:44,633 And he said, "I keep it. I keep everything in my safe." 550 00:32:44,633 --> 00:32:48,261 - The government officials, uh, the politicians, the royalty, 551 00:32:48,261 --> 00:32:50,639 like, you know, they were taping everybody. 552 00:32:51,306 --> 00:32:55,810 Every moment... when you walked in to, to the New York mansion, 553 00:32:55,810 --> 00:32:58,104 to Palm Beach, everything was being filmed. 554 00:32:58,980 --> 00:33:01,399 BARRY: There's still question to this day, 555 00:33:01,399 --> 00:33:04,152 "Where is all of that material?" 556 00:33:04,152 --> 00:33:07,530 Uh, has that material been hidden away? 557 00:33:08,198 --> 00:33:10,533 [indistinct chatter] 558 00:33:11,534 --> 00:33:13,536 ♪ 559 00:33:16,623 --> 00:33:19,251 There's an individual named John Mark Dougan. 560 00:33:19,251 --> 00:33:23,004 He's a former Palm Beach County sheriff's officer 561 00:33:23,004 --> 00:33:27,509 and he's told a story that's straight out of a spy novel. 562 00:33:29,928 --> 00:33:33,932 He claims the lead detective on the case in Palm Beach, Florida, 563 00:33:33,932 --> 00:33:38,979 turned over to John Mark Dougan 700 CDs 564 00:33:38,979 --> 00:33:41,356 containing video evidence 565 00:33:41,356 --> 00:33:44,651 involving men engaging in sexual relations 566 00:33:44,651 --> 00:33:48,822 with the, uh, young women at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion. 567 00:33:50,115 --> 00:33:55,412 Dougan claims that the, uh, authorities have seen these videotapes. 568 00:33:55,412 --> 00:34:00,709 What's interesting is that John Mark Dougan escaped to Russia. 569 00:34:01,877 --> 00:34:04,087 And you have to wonder, 570 00:34:04,087 --> 00:34:07,632 has this played into Putin's world? 571 00:34:07,632 --> 00:34:13,305 There's a photo of him and a man who was in Putin's inner circle. 572 00:34:13,305 --> 00:34:18,143 So, does Putin have something on individuals in the U.S. 573 00:34:18,143 --> 00:34:20,353 about any of this? 574 00:34:20,353 --> 00:34:25,317 Now, John Mark Dougan does categorically deny that. 575 00:34:25,317 --> 00:34:28,028 SARAH: No one has ever been able to establish 576 00:34:28,028 --> 00:34:31,948 that Epstein, in fact, did have recordings, 577 00:34:31,948 --> 00:34:35,243 but all you need is the fear of exposure 578 00:34:35,243 --> 00:34:38,872 for that kind of power to accrue to him. 579 00:34:44,669 --> 00:34:45,962 WHITNEY: I think Leslie Wexner, 580 00:34:45,962 --> 00:34:48,924 because of his influence, his money, and his power, 581 00:34:48,924 --> 00:34:50,800 is able to operate in a way 582 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,511 that other people in Ohio are not able to operate. 583 00:34:55,180 --> 00:34:57,015 TIM: In the 1990s, 584 00:34:57,807 --> 00:35:03,355 Les got some 747 cargo jets 585 00:35:03,355 --> 00:35:07,776 and helped establish Rickenbacker Airport 586 00:35:07,776 --> 00:35:12,781 as a thriving hub for international cargo. 587 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:14,407 ♪ 588 00:35:15,867 --> 00:35:18,411 NOAH: 1995, a company called 589 00:35:18,411 --> 00:35:20,080 Southern Air Transport 590 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:23,083 relocates from Miami to Columbus, Ohio, 591 00:35:23,083 --> 00:35:25,126 with the assistance of Les Wexner. 592 00:35:25,669 --> 00:35:30,090 Southern Air Transport had been involved and connected to Iran-Contra. 593 00:35:30,799 --> 00:35:33,760 - Southern Air Transport was owned by the CIA. 594 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,679 Now, it's a private company, 595 00:35:35,679 --> 00:35:40,684 but its competitors still call it the "CIA's favorite airline." 596 00:35:40,684 --> 00:35:45,188 - Epstein himself boasted that he had connections to the CIA. 597 00:35:47,816 --> 00:35:50,068 NOAH: Epstein visited the Clinton White House 598 00:35:50,068 --> 00:35:52,487 17 times. 599 00:35:53,363 --> 00:35:57,534 Twelve of those times happened in 1994 alone, 600 00:35:57,534 --> 00:36:00,829 the year before Les Wexner helps relocate 601 00:36:00,829 --> 00:36:04,708 Southern Air Transport from Miami to Columbus. 602 00:36:04,708 --> 00:36:09,546 Now, what business might Jeffrey Epstein have had at the Clinton White House? 603 00:36:10,463 --> 00:36:12,674 We don't know. We may never know. 604 00:36:12,674 --> 00:36:14,676 ♪ 605 00:36:22,434 --> 00:36:24,060 - Um, so. 606 00:36:24,603 --> 00:36:28,023 So, so, so there has, there has been reporting to that effect. 607 00:36:28,023 --> 00:36:29,900 And, and let me say, um, 608 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:33,778 there's been reporting to a lot of effects in, in, in this case, 609 00:36:33,778 --> 00:36:36,865 uh, not just now, but over the years. And... 610 00:36:36,865 --> 00:36:38,283 BARRY: Alexander Acosta 611 00:36:38,283 --> 00:36:42,287 was the lawyer for the Southern District in Miami 612 00:36:42,287 --> 00:36:44,998 during Epstein's slap on the wrist conviction. 613 00:36:45,832 --> 00:36:47,667 - This is what the news is like now. 614 00:36:47,667 --> 00:36:49,711 Acosta's always been able to be a little vague 615 00:36:49,711 --> 00:36:52,297 in his justifications for why he did this agreement 616 00:36:52,297 --> 00:36:54,007 to not prosecute Epstein. 617 00:36:54,007 --> 00:36:57,552 BARRY: A few years later, Acosta claimed that 618 00:36:57,552 --> 00:37:01,640 Jeffrey Epstein's, uh, very mild sentencing 619 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:04,601 came as a result of higher ups 620 00:37:04,601 --> 00:37:10,607 who told Acosta that, uh, Epstein was connected to intelligence. 621 00:37:11,316 --> 00:37:15,153 But there's yet another level to this story. 622 00:37:15,904 --> 00:37:20,533 Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein operated in this inner world 623 00:37:20,533 --> 00:37:24,079 of very, very wealthy men 624 00:37:24,079 --> 00:37:27,123 who were staunch backers of Israel 625 00:37:27,123 --> 00:37:32,420 and who are rumored to have various connections to the Mossad. 626 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,803 In fact, Ghislaine Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell, 627 00:37:39,803 --> 00:37:43,098 was said to have been connected to the Mossad 628 00:37:43,098 --> 00:37:46,101 through Israeli intelligence. 629 00:37:49,729 --> 00:37:51,439 SARA: I remember post-9/11, 630 00:37:51,439 --> 00:37:53,608 when Les came into the store, 631 00:37:53,608 --> 00:37:56,820 he had a bulletproof vest on and always had a lot of security with him. 632 00:37:57,862 --> 00:38:01,366 We knew that he was very involved in Israel. 633 00:38:01,366 --> 00:38:02,701 That was what we were sort of told 634 00:38:02,701 --> 00:38:06,371 why there was so much, um, security for him then. 635 00:38:06,371 --> 00:38:09,874 It was kind of a big deal, but it was pretty regular. 636 00:38:11,001 --> 00:38:15,422 BARRY: Les was always a huge pro-Israel endorser 637 00:38:15,422 --> 00:38:18,592 and gave a, a great deal of money to, uh, many charities 638 00:38:18,592 --> 00:38:21,595 and through the Wexner Foundation. 639 00:38:22,762 --> 00:38:27,058 - Epstein was always in the background, moving money around on behalf of Wexner. 640 00:38:27,601 --> 00:38:30,979 And Wexner's money was the engine for organizations 641 00:38:30,979 --> 00:38:33,440 which had enormous political influence. 642 00:38:34,941 --> 00:38:36,443 NOAH: In the 2000s, 643 00:38:36,443 --> 00:38:38,236 The Wexner Foundation paid a bunch of money 644 00:38:38,236 --> 00:38:42,741 to come up with a communications strategy related to the Iraq war 645 00:38:42,741 --> 00:38:46,661 to, you know, win the hearts and minds on behalf of Israel. 646 00:38:46,661 --> 00:38:50,332 But at a certain point though, you know, part of their involvement 647 00:38:50,332 --> 00:38:53,543 is to be plugged into this bigger political game 648 00:38:54,586 --> 00:38:58,590 to make sure that their preferred outcomes happen, 649 00:38:59,424 --> 00:39:03,303 which makes you wonder how many more layers there are to this world. 650 00:39:06,348 --> 00:39:10,810 Where the story of Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein 651 00:39:10,810 --> 00:39:14,147 starts to feel even darker to me is when you start to think about 652 00:39:14,147 --> 00:39:17,859 what are the ideas that these guys might've shared? 653 00:39:17,859 --> 00:39:21,863 What are the beliefs about the world, about humanity? 654 00:39:21,863 --> 00:39:23,865 What did they hold in common? 655 00:39:25,742 --> 00:39:27,661 MICHAEL: I've been told that Wexner was 656 00:39:27,661 --> 00:39:30,080 so egomaniacal 657 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:34,042 that he commissioned the creation of an artificial intelligence bot. 658 00:39:34,042 --> 00:39:37,379 Something like IBM's Watson, only called Wexner, 659 00:39:37,379 --> 00:39:42,008 to impart his timeless knowledge of marketing and merchandizing. 660 00:39:43,301 --> 00:39:45,303 NOAH: And there's also this report 661 00:39:45,303 --> 00:39:50,100 that Jeffrey Epstein sought out the leading scientists 662 00:39:50,100 --> 00:39:52,143 that he could buy access to 663 00:39:52,143 --> 00:39:54,646 for his experiment to artificially inseminate 664 00:39:54,646 --> 00:39:56,856 dozens of women with his semen 665 00:39:56,856 --> 00:40:00,777 in an effort to improve the quality of the human race, 666 00:40:00,777 --> 00:40:03,154 you know, with his genetic material. 667 00:40:03,154 --> 00:40:06,116 Um, evidently, there were not many takers. 668 00:40:08,076 --> 00:40:11,496 The idea of having a legacy that lives on forever, 669 00:40:11,496 --> 00:40:16,042 whether it's Epstein's master race or Les Wexner's AI scheming, 670 00:40:16,042 --> 00:40:20,964 you know, it all speaks to this very scary, dark, ideological place 671 00:40:20,964 --> 00:40:24,801 that our country's ruling class and elites reside in, 672 00:40:24,801 --> 00:40:27,846 and the rest of us are not a part of their plan. 673 00:40:27,846 --> 00:40:29,848 ♪ 674 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:33,643 MICHAEL: The Epstein scandal pulled back a curtain 675 00:40:33,643 --> 00:40:37,939 and shone a light on at least some of the secret behavior 676 00:40:37,939 --> 00:40:40,442 of billionaires in our world. 677 00:40:40,442 --> 00:40:43,028 And we were never supposed to see any of it. 678 00:40:43,028 --> 00:40:47,616 This is all a story that was meant to be hidden and stay hidden. 679 00:40:56,708 --> 00:40:58,710 ♪ 680 00:40:58,710 --> 00:41:03,340 - There are still so many unanswered questions about Epstein, 681 00:41:03,340 --> 00:41:08,553 the people who were around him, and what exactly they were doing. 682 00:41:10,055 --> 00:41:14,601 Wexner's secrecy doesn't seem to have served him 683 00:41:14,601 --> 00:41:16,228 nor Victoria's Secret. 684 00:41:19,606 --> 00:41:21,566 BARRY: In the wake of investigations 685 00:41:21,566 --> 00:41:24,402 that are continuing to take place, 686 00:41:24,402 --> 00:41:28,114 a lawsuit was filed in Delaware 687 00:41:28,114 --> 00:41:30,617 on behalf of shareholders involving 688 00:41:30,617 --> 00:41:32,869 Wexner's, uh, company. 689 00:41:32,869 --> 00:41:34,412 REPORTER: According to a complaint filed by 690 00:41:34,412 --> 00:41:36,164 a current L Brands shareholder, 691 00:41:36,164 --> 00:41:39,125 Leslie Wexner created a culture within his company 692 00:41:39,125 --> 00:41:41,586 of misogyny, bullying, and harassment, 693 00:41:41,586 --> 00:41:45,840 as well as ties to Jeffrey Epstein and other egregious mismanagement. 694 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:48,426 - Victoria's Secret is doing damage control tonight, 695 00:41:48,426 --> 00:41:52,681 fighting back against accusations of sexual harassment by a top executive. 696 00:41:53,390 --> 00:41:56,393 NICOLE: In 2020, in this New York Times piece, 697 00:41:56,393 --> 00:41:59,312 we learned that employees and models 698 00:41:59,312 --> 00:42:01,856 had actually lodged harassment claims 699 00:42:01,856 --> 00:42:05,735 against Ed Razek back in 2018. 700 00:42:05,735 --> 00:42:06,820 REPORTER 1: According to The Times, 701 00:42:06,820 --> 00:42:11,157 Razek tried to kiss models and asked them to sit on his lap. 702 00:42:11,157 --> 00:42:13,785 REPORTER 2: Supermodel Bella Hadid was reportedly subjected 703 00:42:13,785 --> 00:42:16,663 to crude comments about her breasts. 704 00:42:16,663 --> 00:42:18,957 REPORTER 3: The lawsuit says that despite numerous complaints 705 00:42:18,957 --> 00:42:21,459 made to the company's human resources department, 706 00:42:21,459 --> 00:42:24,170 neither Les Wexner nor any member of the board 707 00:42:24,170 --> 00:42:25,964 did anything about it. 708 00:42:25,964 --> 00:42:28,842 REPORTER 4: Razek released a statement calling the accusations 709 00:42:28,842 --> 00:42:33,179 "categorically untrue, misconstrued, or taken out of context." 710 00:42:34,890 --> 00:42:37,183 NICOLE: The claims against Ed 711 00:42:37,183 --> 00:42:40,312 and the Jeffrey Epstein relationship 712 00:42:40,312 --> 00:42:42,647 all come to light in the press, 713 00:42:42,647 --> 00:42:47,444 and together, it became a story that you couldn't ignore. 714 00:42:48,445 --> 00:42:52,657 It was a perfect storm of problems for Les Wexner. 715 00:42:53,700 --> 00:42:54,826 Things were falling apart. 716 00:42:58,246 --> 00:42:59,956 SARAH: By 2021, 717 00:42:59,956 --> 00:43:03,460 Wexner's empire was reduced to two companies: 718 00:43:03,460 --> 00:43:06,463 Victoria's Secret, and Bath & Body Works. 719 00:43:07,339 --> 00:43:09,424 Because of the controversies surrounding it, 720 00:43:09,424 --> 00:43:13,053 Victoria's Secret was dragging L Brands' stock down. 721 00:43:13,845 --> 00:43:15,680 JAMES MITAROTONDA: In the case of L Brands, 722 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:17,682 change was needed. 723 00:43:17,682 --> 00:43:22,145 It was so much pessimism, at the time, about Victoria's Secret, 724 00:43:22,145 --> 00:43:26,107 and so, we issued a plan to improve shareholder value. 725 00:43:26,107 --> 00:43:28,693 ♪ 726 00:43:28,693 --> 00:43:32,280 REPORTER: Our state's richest man is officially retired. 727 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,783 Les Wexner was the longest-serving CEO 728 00:43:34,783 --> 00:43:38,119 in S&P 500 history with 56 years on the job. 729 00:43:39,371 --> 00:43:43,375 - Must have been difficult for Les to, to step down like that. 730 00:43:43,375 --> 00:43:46,545 That's the kind, you know, thoughtful side of me, 731 00:43:46,545 --> 00:43:50,423 and then, on a business side, I was like, "It's about time." 732 00:43:50,423 --> 00:43:52,634 - Are you able to say why you decided to step down? 733 00:43:52,634 --> 00:43:55,178 Was it related to concerns about culture within your company? 734 00:43:55,178 --> 00:43:57,013 LES: No, of course not. 735 00:43:57,013 --> 00:44:00,183 - Or the fallout from Mr. Epstein? - Thanks. 736 00:44:00,183 --> 00:44:02,185 ♪ 737 00:44:03,270 --> 00:44:06,231 MICHAEL: The only way for Victoria's Secret 738 00:44:06,231 --> 00:44:07,774 to survive 739 00:44:07,774 --> 00:44:13,488 is if they can appear to be a newborn, 740 00:44:13,488 --> 00:44:17,534 not the product of Les Wexner, or a product of The Limited, 741 00:44:17,534 --> 00:44:20,287 or an offspring of Victoria's Secret, 742 00:44:20,287 --> 00:44:23,206 but a whole new idea for a whole new world. 743 00:44:23,873 --> 00:44:26,501 REPORTER: Victoria's Secret saying goodbye to its Angels. 744 00:44:26,501 --> 00:44:30,547 The company is making a major shift as it begins to rebrand, 745 00:44:30,547 --> 00:44:32,465 aiming to be more inclusive. 746 00:44:32,465 --> 00:44:36,261 - They're replacing the cat walkers with woke-talkers. 747 00:44:36,261 --> 00:44:37,637 REPORTER 2: The company is now signing 748 00:44:37,637 --> 00:44:39,723 seven women with unique backgrounds, 749 00:44:39,723 --> 00:44:42,017 including soccer star Megan Rapinoe 750 00:44:42,017 --> 00:44:45,353 and transgender Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio. 751 00:44:45,353 --> 00:44:47,105 REPORTER 3: Will this rebranding work? 752 00:44:47,105 --> 00:44:50,108 Will consumers return to this giant retailer? 753 00:44:50,108 --> 00:44:52,611 Or did they miss the boat with being diverse and inclusive? 754 00:44:54,195 --> 00:44:57,365 NICOLE: Victoria's Secret has replaced the Angels 755 00:44:57,365 --> 00:44:58,950 with the VS Collective, 756 00:44:58,950 --> 00:45:02,120 which is a group of women that they selected 757 00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:06,207 for their diversity and for their activism. 758 00:45:07,042 --> 00:45:11,630 - Now, you see Victoria's Secret desperately, and really desperately, 759 00:45:11,630 --> 00:45:15,592 I mean, you can see them sweat trying to catch up. 760 00:45:15,592 --> 00:45:19,012 - The transformation that we have at Victoria's Secret 761 00:45:19,012 --> 00:45:22,599 begins with the admission that we got it wrong. 762 00:45:22,599 --> 00:45:25,852 We lost relevance with the modern woman. 763 00:45:25,852 --> 00:45:28,271 - Victoria's Secret attempting what some are calling 764 00:45:28,271 --> 00:45:30,232 one of the biggest brand transformations 765 00:45:30,232 --> 00:45:32,025 in recent memory. 766 00:45:33,026 --> 00:45:35,695 FREDERIQUE: I'm glad Victoria's Secret woke up. 767 00:45:35,695 --> 00:45:37,113 They had to. 768 00:45:37,113 --> 00:45:40,325 Were they late to the table? Absolutely. 769 00:45:41,076 --> 00:45:43,453 SARA: It feels a little focus group-y. 770 00:45:43,453 --> 00:45:46,122 Like it came out of a think tank a little bit, 771 00:45:46,122 --> 00:45:48,041 but it's a step forward. 772 00:45:48,875 --> 00:45:50,877 ♪ 773 00:45:54,714 --> 00:45:56,633 CASEY: With the change of management, 774 00:45:56,633 --> 00:46:00,428 Victoria's Secret's making really great strides 775 00:46:00,428 --> 00:46:05,433 to change the brand into a women's brand versus a man's brand sold to women. 776 00:46:07,310 --> 00:46:09,145 They're featuring pregnant models. 777 00:46:09,145 --> 00:46:12,065 They're featuring models who are older. 778 00:46:12,065 --> 00:46:14,693 They're featuring models with different body types, 779 00:46:14,693 --> 00:46:18,071 which is exactly what everybody wanted to see 780 00:46:18,071 --> 00:46:21,283 in 2016, 2017, 2018. 781 00:46:23,702 --> 00:46:28,540 - Sexy is obviously something to be celebrated, 782 00:46:28,540 --> 00:46:29,916 but it is broader 783 00:46:30,584 --> 00:46:35,213 because a female consumer is not just one thing, she's many. 784 00:46:35,589 --> 00:46:37,591 ♪ 785 00:46:42,012 --> 00:46:44,139 LYNDSEY: It's hard for me to look at Victoria's Secret the same way 786 00:46:44,139 --> 00:46:47,267 after all of the allegations that have come out. 787 00:46:47,684 --> 00:46:50,228 I think they do have a lot of work to do 788 00:46:50,228 --> 00:46:55,442 to prove that they... are changing. 789 00:46:55,442 --> 00:46:57,694 But I guess only time will tell. 790 00:47:00,071 --> 00:47:01,948 TODD THOMAS: Is it reactive? Probably. 791 00:47:02,699 --> 00:47:06,036 Should you do it... right? Yeah, you should. 792 00:47:06,036 --> 00:47:09,039 I mean, you know, so it's kind of like, "What are the options?" 793 00:47:09,039 --> 00:47:12,250 To get criticized for changing or don't change? 794 00:47:16,838 --> 00:47:19,549 LINDSEY CASELLA: Just because your branding is earth tones 795 00:47:19,549 --> 00:47:21,092 and "feel good" messaging 796 00:47:21,092 --> 00:47:22,719 doesn't mean that 797 00:47:22,719 --> 00:47:25,347 you're actually believing in these things. 798 00:47:26,389 --> 00:47:28,808 I personally feel like it's just a good marketing campaign 799 00:47:28,808 --> 00:47:30,727 and nothing else. 800 00:47:32,270 --> 00:47:36,733 Today, a male is still the leader of this organization 801 00:47:36,733 --> 00:47:39,236 creating a woman-driven industry. 802 00:47:41,613 --> 00:47:43,615 ♪ 803 00:47:45,909 --> 00:47:47,452 DOROTHEA BARTH-JORGENSEN: The fashion industry is 804 00:47:47,452 --> 00:47:49,663 based on something that is not true. 805 00:47:51,414 --> 00:47:54,167 I don't know how long that illusion will last. 806 00:47:54,167 --> 00:47:56,962 And I think the brands that will do well 807 00:47:56,962 --> 00:48:00,298 is the ones that is coming from true integrity. 808 00:48:02,884 --> 00:48:05,720 MICHAEL: The complex of magazines, manufacturers, 809 00:48:05,720 --> 00:48:08,181 designers, models 810 00:48:08,181 --> 00:48:10,475 is still going to exist, 811 00:48:10,475 --> 00:48:12,102 but it's going to be very different. 812 00:48:13,186 --> 00:48:15,230 The magazine brands don't matter. 813 00:48:17,190 --> 00:48:20,652 Malls all across America, they're dying. 814 00:48:20,652 --> 00:48:24,656 Social media has changed things, 815 00:48:24,656 --> 00:48:27,325 but it's not the end of this change. 816 00:48:27,325 --> 00:48:28,910 It's just the beginning. 817 00:48:30,078 --> 00:48:33,540 NICOLE: How great that we have entered an era 818 00:48:33,540 --> 00:48:37,794 where difference is beginning to be celebrated. 819 00:48:38,295 --> 00:48:39,963 But at the same time, 820 00:48:39,963 --> 00:48:43,091 Instagram has totally created 821 00:48:43,091 --> 00:48:46,887 this insane world of filters, 822 00:48:46,887 --> 00:48:51,099 and the plastic surgeons are racing to keep up 823 00:48:51,099 --> 00:48:56,062 with whatever the trends of these filters are making people look like. 824 00:48:56,062 --> 00:48:58,064 ♪ 825 00:48:58,899 --> 00:49:01,401 ASHLEY MEARS: If you look at influencers, 826 00:49:01,401 --> 00:49:03,904 it's an extremely homogenous look. 827 00:49:03,904 --> 00:49:09,159 Like, the lips, the pose, the hair, the, the butt, the breasts. 828 00:49:09,951 --> 00:49:15,790 I think that Victoria's Secret's... legacy is very present there. 829 00:49:15,790 --> 00:49:17,667 ♪ 830 00:49:28,178 --> 00:49:30,305 REPORTER: Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late 831 00:49:30,305 --> 00:49:33,225 and disgraced media mogul Robert Maxwell, 832 00:49:33,225 --> 00:49:36,394 has tonight been found guilty of having helped her lover, 833 00:49:36,394 --> 00:49:40,565 the financier Jeffrey Epstein, sexually abuse teenage girls. 834 00:49:41,524 --> 00:49:43,902 SARAH: Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in 2020 835 00:49:43,902 --> 00:49:46,238 for her association with Epstein. 836 00:49:46,238 --> 00:49:47,572 Now that she's been found guilty, 837 00:49:47,572 --> 00:49:50,075 she could spend the rest of her life in prison. 838 00:49:50,075 --> 00:49:53,036 REPORTER: Um, Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison. 839 00:49:53,036 --> 00:49:55,497 Do you feel that she's going to turn in powerful men? 840 00:49:55,497 --> 00:49:57,958 - I just wish her well, frankly. 841 00:49:57,958 --> 00:50:01,586 SARAH: The powerful, uber wealthy 842 00:50:01,586 --> 00:50:03,922 people who were around Epstein 843 00:50:03,922 --> 00:50:06,550 have reputations to protect, 844 00:50:06,550 --> 00:50:10,095 and have been, up to this point, sort of impenetrable. 845 00:50:10,095 --> 00:50:13,682 They all have this, this chink of vulnerability. 846 00:50:15,016 --> 00:50:18,395 - An investigation is underway in Paris after a close associate 847 00:50:18,395 --> 00:50:20,814 of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, 848 00:50:20,814 --> 00:50:23,108 modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 849 00:50:23,108 --> 00:50:25,068 was found dead this morning in his prison cell. 850 00:50:25,068 --> 00:50:30,365 - The family of Ghislaine Maxwell says they're worried for her safety... 851 00:50:30,365 --> 00:50:31,866 REPORTER: This is astounding to hear, 852 00:50:31,866 --> 00:50:36,496 considering the fact that he died exactly the same way Jeffrey Epstein did. 853 00:50:37,414 --> 00:50:38,915 WHITNEY: Epstein was just one person 854 00:50:38,915 --> 00:50:41,209 operating within this network. 855 00:50:41,209 --> 00:50:43,712 And if you look more at what the power structure is 856 00:50:43,712 --> 00:50:45,797 that enabled Epstein to do this, 857 00:50:45,797 --> 00:50:49,926 this network is, essentially, a business that's too big to fail, 858 00:50:49,926 --> 00:50:53,471 sort of like the Wall Street banks in the 2008 crisis 859 00:50:53,471 --> 00:50:56,641 because of their reach and the damage that would be done, 860 00:50:56,641 --> 00:50:58,268 the same power structure. 861 00:50:58,268 --> 00:51:01,438 If it was investigated and, uh, brought into the forefront 862 00:51:01,438 --> 00:51:03,064 of American public consciousness, 863 00:51:03,064 --> 00:51:06,693 it would have, you know, similarly huge ramifications. 864 00:51:09,863 --> 00:51:12,824 CINDY: The board of L Brands 865 00:51:12,824 --> 00:51:15,827 conducted two investigations 866 00:51:16,745 --> 00:51:21,374 into the business relationship between Epstein and Wexner 867 00:51:22,042 --> 00:51:25,170 and have made no public report. 868 00:51:27,714 --> 00:51:31,927 If something was done that was illegal, 869 00:51:33,762 --> 00:51:35,764 that needs to be reported. 870 00:51:48,735 --> 00:51:51,363 NOAH: I grew up near too many malls to count. 871 00:51:52,113 --> 00:51:54,157 And if I were to go into a mall, 872 00:51:54,157 --> 00:51:58,662 and I were to open up my wallet and spend dollars on clothes as a kid, 873 00:51:58,662 --> 00:52:00,622 you know, there's a good chance that those dollars 874 00:52:00,622 --> 00:52:04,251 were goin' to Les Wexner, and, you know, axiomatically, 875 00:52:04,251 --> 00:52:06,711 those dollars were goin' to Jeffrey Epstein. 876 00:52:06,711 --> 00:52:09,297 ♪ 877 00:52:15,095 --> 00:52:17,889 SARAH: I think Wexner is going to be remembered 878 00:52:17,889 --> 00:52:21,476 as an enormously visionary 879 00:52:21,476 --> 00:52:26,606 and also incredibly flawed and damaged person 880 00:52:26,606 --> 00:52:29,150 in the history of American business. 881 00:52:30,068 --> 00:52:34,573 The Epstein story has done more damage to him 882 00:52:34,573 --> 00:52:38,535 than anything else in his life. 883 00:52:42,622 --> 00:52:46,626 Even as his legacy has been tarnished, 884 00:52:47,544 --> 00:52:50,714 he's still amassing wealth 885 00:52:50,714 --> 00:52:54,759 and still one of the most powerful billionaires in the country. 886 00:53:00,181 --> 00:53:02,267 LES: I remember... my dad said, 887 00:53:02,267 --> 00:53:04,477 "You have a lot of ability, 888 00:53:05,937 --> 00:53:07,689 "much more than I ever thought you had. 889 00:53:07,689 --> 00:53:09,691 [audience cheering] 890 00:53:10,775 --> 00:53:14,779 You have real ability and just be careful how you use it." 891 00:53:21,453 --> 00:53:23,455 ♪ solemn music playing ♪ 892 00:53:58,740 --> 00:54:00,742 ♪ 893 00:54:33,984 --> 00:54:35,986 ♪