1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,000 [indistinct chatter] 2 00:00:10,594 --> 00:00:13,314 ANNOUNCER: Roll tape. What is Victoria's Secret? 3 00:00:13,305 --> 00:00:15,015 in three, two, one, go. 4 00:00:15,015 --> 00:00:16,925 ♪ tense music playing ♪ 5 00:00:29,738 --> 00:00:33,988 NICOLE PHELPS: By 2018, the Victoria's Secret way of doing things 6 00:00:33,992 --> 00:00:38,462 was a 20-year-old force of habit. 7 00:00:38,830 --> 00:00:42,170 And so, they were forced to begin making changes. 8 00:00:42,167 --> 00:00:45,167 And during the fashion show, you could see it. 9 00:00:45,170 --> 00:00:47,590 - It's empowering. - Strong. 10 00:00:47,589 --> 00:00:50,379 - Fierce, sexy. - Iconic. 11 00:00:50,384 --> 00:00:52,394 MICHAEL GROSS: The notion that a model 12 00:00:52,386 --> 00:00:54,426 shouting the word "fierce" 13 00:00:54,429 --> 00:00:56,809 was gonna work was just ridiculous, 14 00:00:56,807 --> 00:00:59,597 but it showed just how out of touch 15 00:00:59,601 --> 00:01:02,151 the leadership of Victoria's Secret had become. 16 00:01:02,521 --> 00:01:05,611 They thought they could fool a few more people 17 00:01:05,607 --> 00:01:07,777 and talk about empowerment. 18 00:01:07,776 --> 00:01:09,986 - Successful, confident women. 19 00:01:09,987 --> 00:01:12,567 - Really powerful, young women. - Be sexy for ourselves 20 00:01:12,573 --> 00:01:13,623 and for who we wanna be, 21 00:01:13,615 --> 00:01:16,075 not because a man says you have to be. 22 00:01:16,076 --> 00:01:18,116 It was never about that in the first place. 23 00:01:19,288 --> 00:01:22,418 JAMES SCULLY: That whole hypersexualization worked for a long time, 24 00:01:22,416 --> 00:01:25,126 but there was a point where 25 00:01:25,127 --> 00:01:27,457 the world at large moved on from it and they didn't. 26 00:01:27,462 --> 00:01:32,682 And they went from being valid to invalid [chuckles] so fast. 27 00:01:32,676 --> 00:01:35,046 [audience cheers, applause] 28 00:01:35,053 --> 00:01:37,063 LES WEXNER: The intriguing thing to me 29 00:01:37,055 --> 00:01:38,595 is that as I get older and older, 30 00:01:38,599 --> 00:01:42,139 staying in touch with what society, young women want. 31 00:01:44,104 --> 00:01:46,404 You have to keep flexibility 'cause the world changes 32 00:01:46,398 --> 00:01:48,028 and you have to change with it. 33 00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:53,405 SHARLEEN ERNSTER: The downfall of Victoria's Secret 34 00:01:53,405 --> 00:01:58,405 really came from Les's inability, in my opinion, 35 00:01:58,410 --> 00:02:04,250 to see the success of fashion through any lens other than his own. 36 00:02:05,918 --> 00:02:09,338 He believed we were making a movie with the brand, 37 00:02:09,338 --> 00:02:14,378 but it was always very tilted to this kind of Zeus, you know, like, 38 00:02:14,384 --> 00:02:17,184 one person knows all things. 39 00:02:17,179 --> 00:02:21,349 In fact, at some point after I had already left, um, Victoria's Secret, 40 00:02:21,350 --> 00:02:24,900 Les, evidently, said something to the tune of, 41 00:02:24,895 --> 00:02:29,065 "Am I the only one in the room who knows what women want?" 42 00:02:29,066 --> 00:02:32,646 It doesn't totally surprise me because 43 00:02:32,653 --> 00:02:37,203 he was so egotistically strong in his belief that this is what works, 44 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:40,199 that he wasn't open to it changing. 45 00:02:41,036 --> 00:02:44,156 REPORTER: This morning, an ad for Victoria's Secret 46 00:02:44,164 --> 00:02:45,544 undergarments is under fire. 47 00:02:45,541 --> 00:02:50,961 "The Perfect Body," those three small but powerful words, igniting outrage. 48 00:02:52,506 --> 00:02:54,256 FREDERIQUE VAN DER WAL: Over the years, 49 00:02:54,258 --> 00:02:58,258 Victoria became something unattainable. 50 00:02:58,262 --> 00:03:01,932 It was too sexy. Like, it's not real anymore. 51 00:03:02,850 --> 00:03:06,400 "I have to have a six-pack." R-Ridiculous idea. 52 00:03:07,104 --> 00:03:09,904 And that's when the disconnect started. 53 00:03:09,898 --> 00:03:12,028 - This morning, women's clothing company Lane Bryant 54 00:03:12,025 --> 00:03:15,775 is chiming in on the conversation about beauty and body image 55 00:03:15,779 --> 00:03:18,869 with a new marketing campaign called "I'm No Angel." 56 00:03:18,866 --> 00:03:20,906 - I'm no angel. - I'm no angel. 57 00:03:20,909 --> 00:03:22,699 MODELS: I'm no angel... - I'm no angel. 58 00:03:22,703 --> 00:03:25,753 NICOLE: There were changes that we were seeing happen 59 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:28,577 in competitive lingerie brands 60 00:03:28,584 --> 00:03:32,964 in terms of body size, in terms of diversity. 61 00:03:32,963 --> 00:03:37,053 And it felt like a new era was dawning. 62 00:03:37,718 --> 00:03:39,388 REPORTER: Declaring, "We're all angels," 63 00:03:39,386 --> 00:03:43,516 they're fighting back against the iconic brand Victoria's Secret. 64 00:03:43,515 --> 00:03:47,225 - When social media came in and really changed the media landscape, 65 00:03:47,227 --> 00:03:51,397 that's when the boat kind of started to really, like, shake. 66 00:03:52,232 --> 00:03:55,862 And the change was really fast-paced. 67 00:03:55,861 --> 00:03:58,951 All of a sudden, there was this outburst of, 68 00:03:58,947 --> 00:04:02,777 "We don't wanna see Photoshop. Like, we wanna see real women." 69 00:04:02,784 --> 00:04:06,874 Brands like Aerie came out with no retouching campaigns. 70 00:04:06,872 --> 00:04:10,632 Brands like ThirdLove came out and it was marketed more towards women 71 00:04:10,626 --> 00:04:14,086 versus this man's fantasy sold to women. 72 00:04:15,005 --> 00:04:18,255 - Real women don't have pillow fights with each other every night. 73 00:04:18,258 --> 00:04:21,138 You know, real women, I don't think, sit around with their legs spread 74 00:04:21,136 --> 00:04:23,846 and they're, like, posing at the camera. 75 00:04:23,847 --> 00:04:26,977 And it came to a point in time where women were like, 76 00:04:26,975 --> 00:04:28,765 "No, I'm not really buying into this." 77 00:04:30,687 --> 00:04:32,687 [audience applause] 78 00:04:32,689 --> 00:04:35,319 - A Victoria's Secret in Texas banned a woman 79 00:04:35,317 --> 00:04:37,947 from breastfeeding her son in the lingerie store. 80 00:04:37,945 --> 00:04:40,235 Apparently, they don't want anyone to get the wrong idea 81 00:04:40,239 --> 00:04:42,239 about what breasts are for. 82 00:04:42,241 --> 00:04:44,121 [audience laughs] 83 00:04:45,869 --> 00:04:48,289 - There's all these things that they were saying 84 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:51,748 or doing, internally, that were against the grain 85 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:54,130 of where the market seemed to be going, 86 00:04:54,127 --> 00:04:55,877 but they were still at the top 87 00:04:55,879 --> 00:04:58,299 because it takes time for all of that to crumble. 88 00:04:59,758 --> 00:05:03,798 LES: I think technology is going to aid retail, uh, 89 00:05:03,804 --> 00:05:05,394 much more dramatically 90 00:05:05,389 --> 00:05:08,559 than technology is just, "You buy it online." 91 00:05:09,935 --> 00:05:12,145 MICHAEL: Les Wexner had been the king 92 00:05:12,145 --> 00:05:13,935 of brick-and-mortar retail. 93 00:05:15,065 --> 00:05:18,355 But every career ends at some point. 94 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,740 And in Wexner's case, it ended when the meteor 95 00:05:21,738 --> 00:05:26,288 of social media, online shopping, Instagram, all of that 96 00:05:26,285 --> 00:05:30,325 suddenly hit the fashion world and reconfigured it as something else. 97 00:05:31,373 --> 00:05:35,173 SHARLEEN: The social revolution happened so fast, 98 00:05:35,169 --> 00:05:38,629 iPhones, and Instagram, and online shopping. 99 00:05:38,630 --> 00:05:41,090 These were kind of his blindsides. 100 00:05:43,093 --> 00:05:44,973 SARA ZOFKO: It's kind of nuts to think that 101 00:05:44,970 --> 00:05:46,720 a company that was so innovative 102 00:05:46,722 --> 00:05:48,312 couldn't keep up with technology. 103 00:05:52,019 --> 00:05:53,899 TOMMY TON: With the whole boom of the internet, 104 00:05:53,896 --> 00:05:56,816 it's like a community that's growing so fast. 105 00:05:56,815 --> 00:05:59,815 It's the fact that you can have your voice heard. 106 00:06:00,569 --> 00:06:03,109 Digital media really democratized fashion. 107 00:06:03,739 --> 00:06:06,489 Tavi Gevinson was this 13-year-old blogger, 108 00:06:06,491 --> 00:06:08,581 and all of a sudden, in 2010, 109 00:06:08,577 --> 00:06:11,407 she was placed front row next to Anna Wintour at a fashion show. 110 00:06:12,706 --> 00:06:15,996 That was representative of the shift in power in the industry. 111 00:06:16,001 --> 00:06:17,251 So, from then on, 112 00:06:17,252 --> 00:06:20,262 brands were more open to the idea of digital media. 113 00:06:22,216 --> 00:06:25,296 Victoria's Secret started casting more models 114 00:06:25,302 --> 00:06:27,102 that had a bigger social media following. 115 00:06:28,805 --> 00:06:30,345 NICOLE: These young women, 116 00:06:30,349 --> 00:06:32,229 you know, they're brands in themselves, 117 00:06:32,226 --> 00:06:36,976 and in many cases, their followings totally dwarf 118 00:06:36,980 --> 00:06:41,400 the followings of the brands that are hiring them. 119 00:06:41,401 --> 00:06:46,821 It gives these young models an enormous amount of power. 120 00:06:46,823 --> 00:06:47,993 [all cheering] 121 00:06:47,991 --> 00:06:50,701 TOMMY: Victoria's Secret was definitely reaping the benefits, 122 00:06:50,702 --> 00:06:54,002 but at the same time, it kind of bit them in the butt 123 00:06:53,997 --> 00:06:56,457 because the models could speak on their own behalf 124 00:06:56,458 --> 00:06:59,708 and not feel intimidated by a bigger brand. 125 00:07:00,671 --> 00:07:03,221 LYNDSEY SCOTT: The traditional media isn't controlling everything anymore. 126 00:07:03,674 --> 00:07:08,974 People are letting these brands know that we're ready for so much more 127 00:07:08,971 --> 00:07:11,601 than they thought we were, as a society. 128 00:07:16,478 --> 00:07:18,478 ED RAZEK: You can be fierce. You can be strong. 129 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,070 You are emissaries of a very positive message 130 00:07:21,066 --> 00:07:23,686 and you need to do that and only you can do that. 131 00:07:23,694 --> 00:07:25,114 I love you all. 132 00:07:25,112 --> 00:07:27,032 MODELS: Love you! [cheering] 133 00:07:29,241 --> 00:07:32,081 CASEY CROWE TAYLOR: As I was brought more into this 134 00:07:32,077 --> 00:07:33,747 inner circle world, 135 00:07:34,329 --> 00:07:36,959 the culture just started to feel heavy on me. 136 00:07:36,957 --> 00:07:39,247 [indistinct chatter] 137 00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:44,089 I remember being on set once 138 00:07:44,089 --> 00:07:47,469 and Ed made the comment that women only work out 139 00:07:47,467 --> 00:07:49,467 to look good naked for men. 140 00:07:50,304 --> 00:07:54,644 There was always this understanding that, like, "That was just Ed." 141 00:07:55,601 --> 00:07:57,851 SHARLEEN: You never knew what was gonna come out of his mouth. 142 00:07:57,853 --> 00:08:01,323 It was, like, a whole different set of rules that he lived by. 143 00:08:03,650 --> 00:08:06,780 CASEY: In June of 2015, we were on set. 144 00:08:06,778 --> 00:08:10,448 It's lunchtime and they set up a buffet. 145 00:08:10,449 --> 00:08:14,749 I was going up to get more and Ed physically stopped me, 146 00:08:14,745 --> 00:08:16,865 like stepped in front of me, 147 00:08:16,872 --> 00:08:20,042 and said, "Are you really gonna go get more food?" 148 00:08:20,042 --> 00:08:22,002 And I just kind of froze. 149 00:08:25,130 --> 00:08:26,880 And he is like, 150 00:08:26,882 --> 00:08:30,762 "I really don't know how you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning." 151 00:08:32,721 --> 00:08:36,271 I then walked to the bathroom and I'm just... hot with humiliation. 152 00:08:36,266 --> 00:08:37,386 I'm shaking. 153 00:08:37,809 --> 00:08:42,729 It was so confusing, and hurtful, and just, like, shocking 154 00:08:43,815 --> 00:08:46,105 being bullied and harassed, 155 00:08:46,109 --> 00:08:48,489 out of nowhere, in front of 156 00:08:48,487 --> 00:08:50,817 the world's biggest supermodels. 157 00:08:52,866 --> 00:08:55,116 I realized... this is not normal, 158 00:08:55,118 --> 00:08:57,408 this should not be an acceptable thing to happen, 159 00:08:57,412 --> 00:09:01,422 but his behavior was just so normalized. 160 00:09:02,292 --> 00:09:03,882 Maybe a week later, 161 00:09:03,877 --> 00:09:08,667 Monica Mitro puts up an elbow on my cubicle wall and says, 162 00:09:08,674 --> 00:09:10,134 "By the way, Casey, 163 00:09:10,133 --> 00:09:13,473 Ed makes some really weird jokes sometimes, doesn't he?" 164 00:09:13,470 --> 00:09:19,100 It was pretty much that day I immediately started looking for, for other jobs. 165 00:09:21,186 --> 00:09:24,436 LES: The aspect of leadership that I find is most important 166 00:09:24,439 --> 00:09:27,859 is that leaders lead themselves effectively, 167 00:09:27,860 --> 00:09:32,530 and clearly, leaders do take their followers, their flock, 168 00:09:32,531 --> 00:09:37,161 their enterprise, their business, whatever, hopefully, to a better place. 169 00:09:39,413 --> 00:09:42,043 CINDY FEDUS-FIELDS: Beginning in 2016, 170 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,920 Victoria's Secret's profitability 171 00:09:45,919 --> 00:09:50,669 started its rather steep and downward trend. 172 00:09:52,176 --> 00:09:57,556 So... something happened in 2016 173 00:09:57,556 --> 00:10:01,186 that should've gotten somebody's attention. 174 00:10:01,185 --> 00:10:03,475 [indistinct shouting] 175 00:10:04,605 --> 00:10:07,065 ALL: [chanting] This is what democracy looks like! 176 00:10:10,110 --> 00:10:13,660 MICHAEL: The MeToo movement, the consciousness change 177 00:10:13,655 --> 00:10:16,485 has been universal, 178 00:10:17,159 --> 00:10:22,289 sudden, but really it was like water building up behind a dam, 179 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:24,080 and the dam broke, 180 00:10:24,082 --> 00:10:26,882 and there is no puttin' that dam back together again. 181 00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:32,835 CINDY: When the Harvey Weinstein accusations 182 00:10:32,841 --> 00:10:36,641 and the MeToo movement ramped up, 183 00:10:36,637 --> 00:10:38,887 that was a signal. 184 00:10:38,889 --> 00:10:42,559 Les... missed the change. 185 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:46,229 He didn't call it... correctly. 186 00:10:49,566 --> 00:10:52,566 - Back in, uh, I guess it was August or September of last year, 187 00:10:52,569 --> 00:10:55,279 I had a meeting with Harvey Weinstein at Miramax. 188 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,620 CINDY: In fact, for the 2000 fashion show 189 00:10:58,617 --> 00:11:00,157 that took place in Cannes, 190 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,870 Harvey Weinstein and Ed Razek 191 00:11:02,871 --> 00:11:05,041 worked closely together. 192 00:11:08,001 --> 00:11:11,301 Then, sometime after, 193 00:11:11,296 --> 00:11:15,876 Harvey Weinstein personally showed up 194 00:11:15,884 --> 00:11:17,974 in the New York offices 195 00:11:18,345 --> 00:11:20,555 with a young woman in tow 196 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:26,600 wanting her to be made a Victoria's Secret model. 197 00:11:27,229 --> 00:11:31,069 And said he had been sent by Razek. 198 00:11:32,192 --> 00:11:36,742 And the fact that Weinstein, at the suggestion of Razek, 199 00:11:36,738 --> 00:11:41,368 might show up trying to get a young woman a job 200 00:11:41,827 --> 00:11:44,367 is not only poor form, it's tasteless. 201 00:11:45,706 --> 00:11:51,706 If there's some connection between Epstein, Weinstein, Razek, 202 00:11:51,712 --> 00:11:54,132 your business is going south, 203 00:11:54,131 --> 00:11:58,301 wouldn't that lead you to say, "What's going on here?" 204 00:11:58,302 --> 00:12:02,762 Especially somebody like Les 205 00:12:02,764 --> 00:12:05,104 who was so observant. 206 00:12:06,351 --> 00:12:11,191 But that kind of behavior was indicative 207 00:12:11,190 --> 00:12:16,860 of... other behavior at Victoria's Secret. 208 00:12:17,988 --> 00:12:19,988 [audience applause] 209 00:12:19,990 --> 00:12:21,990 [indistinct chatter] 210 00:12:22,951 --> 00:12:27,831 NICOLE: Suddenly, in 2018, you had Savage Fenty, 211 00:12:27,831 --> 00:12:29,671 the brand run by 212 00:12:29,666 --> 00:12:32,626 one of the world's biggest pop stars. 213 00:12:33,629 --> 00:12:35,959 REPORTER: Companies like Rihanna's Savage X Fenty 214 00:12:35,964 --> 00:12:39,344 are showing beautiful women of all shapes and sizes. 215 00:12:39,343 --> 00:12:42,143 RIHANNA: I wanted people to feel that, that energy. 216 00:12:42,137 --> 00:12:43,597 I want them to feel all the different body types, 217 00:12:43,597 --> 00:12:46,427 all the different women in different stages of their womanhood, 218 00:12:46,433 --> 00:12:48,443 and... it was fun. 219 00:12:49,144 --> 00:12:51,984 MICHAEL: When Rihanna put real women 220 00:12:51,980 --> 00:12:54,940 out on the runway, 221 00:12:54,942 --> 00:12:57,242 that was actually socially transformative. 222 00:12:58,237 --> 00:13:01,987 LYNDSEY: People are spending money after seeing inclusion. 223 00:13:01,990 --> 00:13:06,160 They want to see the clothes on their body type before they buy it. 224 00:13:06,161 --> 00:13:09,461 Diversity isn't just pandering, it's a smart business move, 225 00:13:09,456 --> 00:13:11,706 and Rihanna's business is proof of that. 226 00:13:12,626 --> 00:13:16,256 JAMES SCULLY: When people saw that, they were like, "I now see myself." 227 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:17,970 I mean, then all of a sudden, 228 00:13:17,965 --> 00:13:21,045 Victoria's Secret just looked like a complete dinosaur. 229 00:13:21,051 --> 00:13:22,971 ♪ 230 00:13:33,146 --> 00:13:34,726 NICOLE: In 2018, 231 00:13:34,731 --> 00:13:36,981 I remember being in an edit meeting at Vogue 232 00:13:36,984 --> 00:13:40,284 and saying, "Let's do a story 233 00:13:40,279 --> 00:13:43,199 about how Victoria's Secret should change." 234 00:13:44,950 --> 00:13:49,200 Ed Razek agreed to sit down for an interview. 235 00:13:49,204 --> 00:13:53,214 And so, I went into the Victoria's Secret office. 236 00:13:53,208 --> 00:13:55,208 [recording plays] 237 00:13:59,423 --> 00:14:04,473 Monica Mitro, who was the executive VP of public relations was there. 238 00:14:05,387 --> 00:14:07,887 There was also a PR person in the room. 239 00:14:07,890 --> 00:14:09,680 [recording plays] 240 00:14:14,855 --> 00:14:18,645 I was essentially giving Ed and Monica 241 00:14:18,650 --> 00:14:22,740 a chance to start rewriting Victoria's Secret history. 242 00:14:22,738 --> 00:14:24,738 [recording plays] 243 00:14:26,617 --> 00:14:28,617 ED: Uh, does the brand think about diversity? Yes. 244 00:14:28,619 --> 00:14:30,499 Do we offer larger sizes? Yes. 245 00:14:30,495 --> 00:14:33,665 - And we were discussing the disruptors 246 00:14:33,665 --> 00:14:38,625 that were emerging and becoming truly competitive for Victoria's Secret. 247 00:14:38,629 --> 00:14:42,419 ED: Everybody, uh, keeps talking about Rihanna's show. 248 00:14:42,424 --> 00:14:44,934 If we had done Rihanna's show, 249 00:14:44,927 --> 00:14:48,887 we would be accused of pandering without question. 250 00:14:48,889 --> 00:14:50,099 NICOLE: Because why? 251 00:14:50,098 --> 00:14:53,558 ED: Because the brand has a specific image, 252 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,270 has a point of view, has a history. 253 00:14:56,271 --> 00:15:00,071 - He discounted the brands that were emerging 254 00:15:00,067 --> 00:15:03,527 because of the changing culture. 255 00:15:03,987 --> 00:15:05,607 ED: We're nobody's ThirdLove. 256 00:15:05,614 --> 00:15:07,374 We're their first love. 257 00:15:07,366 --> 00:15:09,576 HEIDI ZAK: The morning the Vogue article hit, 258 00:15:09,576 --> 00:15:11,576 I woke up and I had a bunch of text messages, 259 00:15:11,578 --> 00:15:13,498 and people were like, "Have you seen this article?" 260 00:15:14,081 --> 00:15:16,461 I read the article and my mouth fell to the floor. 261 00:15:17,376 --> 00:15:20,496 I could not believe the things that came out of his mouth. 262 00:15:20,504 --> 00:15:24,014 ED: We attempted to do a television special for plus size. 263 00:15:24,007 --> 00:15:26,547 No one had any interest in it, still don't. 264 00:15:27,427 --> 00:15:33,177 - I mentioned how we had started seeing more transgender models in fashion. 265 00:15:33,183 --> 00:15:34,813 ED: "Why doesn't your show do this?" 266 00:15:34,810 --> 00:15:37,020 "Shouldn't you have transsexuals in the show?" 267 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:39,400 No, I don't think we should. "Well, why not?" 268 00:15:39,398 --> 00:15:41,568 I said, "Because the show is a fantasy." 269 00:15:41,567 --> 00:15:43,567 [recording plays] 270 00:15:46,905 --> 00:15:48,985 NICOLE: I filed that story, 271 00:15:48,991 --> 00:15:51,831 and my first feedback was, 272 00:15:51,827 --> 00:15:54,707 "Wow, you've really let them hang themselves." 273 00:15:54,705 --> 00:15:57,535 And that is what Ed did. 274 00:15:57,541 --> 00:15:59,541 [recording plays] 275 00:16:00,169 --> 00:16:01,999 [Nicole laughs] 276 00:16:02,671 --> 00:16:04,761 REPORTER: While Razek later apologized, 277 00:16:04,756 --> 00:16:07,626 his interview unleashed an angry response. 278 00:16:07,634 --> 00:16:10,974 - As luck would have it, we actually had drafted an open letter 279 00:16:10,971 --> 00:16:15,521 to Victoria's Secret earlier in the year that we ended up not publishing. 280 00:16:15,517 --> 00:16:17,767 And when this happened, 281 00:16:17,769 --> 00:16:22,979 it was an opportunity to offer a clear alternative, and it worked. 282 00:16:22,983 --> 00:16:27,033 REPORTER: ThirdLove says revenue has increased 300% 283 00:16:27,029 --> 00:16:28,859 each of the last two years. 284 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,410 NICOLE: My article, and the sort of 285 00:16:32,409 --> 00:16:34,999 media blitz that followed it, 286 00:16:34,995 --> 00:16:40,075 and the uproar on social media 287 00:16:40,083 --> 00:16:42,383 really sort of sealed the deal. 288 00:16:42,377 --> 00:16:43,957 REPORTER 1: One of last night's performers, Halsey, 289 00:16:43,962 --> 00:16:44,962 is making some headlines this morning. 290 00:16:44,963 --> 00:16:46,973 She did respond to the controversial comments 291 00:16:46,965 --> 00:16:48,875 about transgender models, which were made... 292 00:16:48,884 --> 00:16:51,514 REPORTER 2: Model Karlie Kloss telling Vogue magazine, 293 00:16:51,512 --> 00:16:55,602 "I didn't feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am 294 00:16:55,599 --> 00:16:59,189 and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world." 295 00:16:59,186 --> 00:17:01,806 REPORTER 3: Bella Hadid saying she felt the most confident 296 00:17:01,813 --> 00:17:04,233 during Rihanna's Savage Fenty show. 297 00:17:04,233 --> 00:17:07,113 - When I first did Fenty, I was doing other-- 298 00:17:07,110 --> 00:17:08,490 There's other lingerie shows, 299 00:17:08,487 --> 00:17:13,577 and I never felt powerful on a runway, like, in my underwear. 300 00:17:14,201 --> 00:17:15,451 NICOLE: When those models 301 00:17:15,452 --> 00:17:19,922 with their enormous platforms started speaking out, 302 00:17:19,915 --> 00:17:22,285 they wound up, you know, in a, in a crisis point. 303 00:17:22,835 --> 00:17:24,835 [recording plays] 304 00:17:31,260 --> 00:17:33,930 ♪ 305 00:17:38,517 --> 00:17:39,887 REPORTER 1: After two decades, 306 00:17:39,893 --> 00:17:43,233 the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is over. 307 00:17:43,230 --> 00:17:46,070 The company's saying they plan to evolve the messaging 308 00:17:46,066 --> 00:17:49,646 and cut back on costly marketing events. 309 00:17:49,653 --> 00:17:54,783 REPORTER 2: L Brand's reported over a $250 million loss last quarter. 310 00:17:54,783 --> 00:17:57,123 REPORTER 3: Ratings for the show have plummeted as well. 311 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,209 Last year's were the lowest since they started televising it. 312 00:18:00,205 --> 00:18:03,245 The company's sales also struggling. 313 00:18:03,250 --> 00:18:07,050 NICOLE: It took almost a year for Ed to step down. 314 00:18:07,045 --> 00:18:09,965 And I think what that told me 315 00:18:09,965 --> 00:18:14,715 was just how important he was to the brand and to Les. 316 00:18:15,971 --> 00:18:18,561 WOMAN: At this point, they have too much brand baggage 317 00:18:18,557 --> 00:18:20,137 to recalibrate from. 318 00:18:20,142 --> 00:18:21,442 JAMES MITAROTONDA: Numbers were declining, 319 00:18:21,435 --> 00:18:24,855 revenues were declining, earnings were declining. 320 00:18:24,855 --> 00:18:29,275 The stock peaked at $100.22 321 00:18:29,276 --> 00:18:31,736 on November 2015. 322 00:18:31,737 --> 00:18:34,157 And by the beginning of 2019, 323 00:18:34,156 --> 00:18:37,156 the stock was trading at just over $26. 324 00:18:40,537 --> 00:18:44,417 - A wealthy money manager whose friends have included presidents and a prince 325 00:18:44,416 --> 00:18:46,666 is behind bars in Manhattan tonight. 326 00:18:46,668 --> 00:18:48,998 Jeffrey Epstein is accused of sex trafficking 327 00:18:49,004 --> 00:18:51,224 and molesting underage girls. 328 00:18:52,382 --> 00:18:56,642 BARRY LEVINE: With Epstein's second arrest, this time, 329 00:18:56,637 --> 00:18:59,887 it was... like a bomb exploded. 330 00:18:59,890 --> 00:19:04,440 And so, everything around Jeffrey Epstein, every association he had, 331 00:19:04,436 --> 00:19:07,556 uh, was under the microscope now. 332 00:19:08,482 --> 00:19:10,072 REPORTER: The L Brand's board of directors 333 00:19:10,067 --> 00:19:13,107 has enlisted an outside firm to conduct a review 334 00:19:13,111 --> 00:19:16,411 of Jeffrey Epstein's role at the retail company. 335 00:19:16,406 --> 00:19:19,276 BARRY: The company actually hired Davis Polk, 336 00:19:19,284 --> 00:19:23,124 which was Abigail Wexner's former law firm in, in New York 337 00:19:23,121 --> 00:19:26,001 to do one of the investigations. 338 00:19:25,999 --> 00:19:28,089 SARAH ELLISON: The implications are very cloudy, 339 00:19:28,085 --> 00:19:33,665 but with the relationship between Wexner and Epstein in the spotlight, 340 00:19:33,674 --> 00:19:37,764 and the fact that Epstein claimed that he was a Victoria's Secret recruiter, 341 00:19:38,428 --> 00:19:42,018 the company was forced to distance itself 342 00:19:42,015 --> 00:19:45,765 from any connection to Epstein. 343 00:19:45,769 --> 00:19:51,279 And Wexner sort of posits that he had no idea that any of this was going on, 344 00:19:51,275 --> 00:19:52,815 and that years afore, 345 00:19:52,818 --> 00:19:55,738 he had immediately cut ties 346 00:19:55,737 --> 00:19:59,197 with Epstein after his first arrest, 347 00:19:59,199 --> 00:20:03,829 where he did remove power of attorney, but it took more than a year. 348 00:20:04,621 --> 00:20:07,881 - Everyone has to feel, uh, enormous regret, 349 00:20:07,875 --> 00:20:10,665 uh, for the advantage, 350 00:20:10,669 --> 00:20:14,129 uh, that was taken of, uh, of so many young women. 351 00:20:14,131 --> 00:20:19,601 And, uh, that's just unexplainable, abhorrent behavior, 352 00:20:19,595 --> 00:20:22,635 and, uh, clearly, uh, is something 353 00:20:22,639 --> 00:20:26,639 we, we, we all, uh... would condemn. 354 00:20:27,519 --> 00:20:29,609 SARAH: A recently obtained investigation 355 00:20:29,605 --> 00:20:32,145 paints a different picture for L Brands. 356 00:20:32,149 --> 00:20:34,069 When Epstein was first arrested, 357 00:20:34,067 --> 00:20:36,697 documents suggest that L Brands directly aided 358 00:20:36,695 --> 00:20:39,905 Epstein's legal defense in 2006. 359 00:20:40,991 --> 00:20:43,791 One of his accusers happened to have worked for Victoria's Secret, 360 00:20:43,785 --> 00:20:45,325 and the L Brand's legal department 361 00:20:45,329 --> 00:20:48,169 sent over employee records regarding this accuser. 362 00:20:48,165 --> 00:20:50,165 ♪ 363 00:20:53,337 --> 00:20:56,007 These records were not subpoenaed. 364 00:20:56,006 --> 00:20:59,636 They were provided voluntarily by L Brands, aiding Epstein. 365 00:21:01,386 --> 00:21:04,386 This information was never publicly reported. 366 00:21:04,389 --> 00:21:06,389 ♪ 367 00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:33,880 WHITNEY WEBB: After Epstein's second arrest, 368 00:21:33,877 --> 00:21:36,587 everyone that has ever been connected to this man 369 00:21:36,588 --> 00:21:40,628 has done everything humanly possible to distance themselves from him. 370 00:21:41,718 --> 00:21:43,008 JESSICA RALSTON: Ohio's richest man, 371 00:21:43,011 --> 00:21:45,141 L Brands founder Les Wexner, says 372 00:21:45,138 --> 00:21:47,598 disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein 373 00:21:47,599 --> 00:21:51,439 mismanaged tens of millions of Wexner's dollars. 374 00:21:51,436 --> 00:21:54,726 SARAH: In the wake of all these terrible allegations, 375 00:21:54,731 --> 00:21:58,241 Wexner talks about his own betrayal by Epstein. 376 00:21:58,235 --> 00:22:00,945 That, in fact, Wexner himself is a victim. 377 00:22:02,573 --> 00:22:07,163 TIM FERAN: Around, I guess it was January of 2019, 378 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:08,410 I got a tip 379 00:22:08,412 --> 00:22:13,632 that I should look into certain charitable funds 380 00:22:13,625 --> 00:22:16,085 associated with Wexner, 381 00:22:16,086 --> 00:22:19,006 and one of them happened to be a fund 382 00:22:19,506 --> 00:22:22,176 called the YLK Fund. 383 00:22:22,593 --> 00:22:25,143 Those are the initials of Abigail's father, 384 00:22:25,137 --> 00:22:27,137 Yehuda L. Koppel. 385 00:22:28,348 --> 00:22:31,348 This fund was created 386 00:22:31,351 --> 00:22:35,651 around the time of Epstein's case in Florida, 387 00:22:35,647 --> 00:22:38,187 and the president of the fund 388 00:22:38,192 --> 00:22:42,362 was Les Wexner's wife, Abigail, 389 00:22:42,362 --> 00:22:47,742 and the money was $46-some-million put in there 390 00:22:47,743 --> 00:22:49,453 by Epstein. 391 00:22:50,287 --> 00:22:55,997 And it-it's jolting because they're taking money from this guy 392 00:22:56,001 --> 00:22:59,461 who's being convicted 393 00:22:59,463 --> 00:23:02,423 of child abuse, basically. 394 00:23:03,008 --> 00:23:07,388 Les claims that it was money that was stolen from him 395 00:23:07,387 --> 00:23:12,597 and was put back quietly so that he wouldn't be embarrassed. 396 00:23:13,435 --> 00:23:16,435 CONCHITA SARNOFF: Wexner admitted that 397 00:23:16,438 --> 00:23:20,728 Epstein stole money from him, 398 00:23:20,734 --> 00:23:24,204 more than the $46.7 million. 399 00:23:24,196 --> 00:23:28,236 And it was money that should have been reported immediately. 400 00:23:29,451 --> 00:23:31,201 LES: Being taken advantage of 401 00:23:31,203 --> 00:23:35,213 by someone who was, uh, so sick, 402 00:23:35,207 --> 00:23:39,997 so cunning, uh, s-so depraved, um, 403 00:23:40,003 --> 00:23:42,213 it's, uh, it's, it's something that I'm embarrassed 404 00:23:42,214 --> 00:23:43,884 that I was even close to. 405 00:23:47,135 --> 00:23:50,345 SARAH: Wexner is known as being litigious, 406 00:23:50,347 --> 00:23:52,217 and yet, he won't pursue Epstein 407 00:23:52,224 --> 00:23:55,644 for stealing millions upon millions of dollars. 408 00:23:56,478 --> 00:24:02,278 To allow that level of betrayal and dishonesty to happen, 409 00:24:02,276 --> 00:24:07,316 unpunished, um, is entirely unexplained. 410 00:24:09,992 --> 00:24:11,832 TIM: Why didn't you sue him? 411 00:24:11,827 --> 00:24:14,327 What's that all about? 412 00:24:14,329 --> 00:24:16,959 I don't know. I-- It just-- 413 00:24:18,333 --> 00:24:21,423 It just doesn't seem to add up to me. 414 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:23,760 ♪ 415 00:24:27,885 --> 00:24:30,885 SARAH: Wexner has never specified 416 00:24:30,888 --> 00:24:33,888 how much money he paid Jeffrey Epstein 417 00:24:33,891 --> 00:24:37,271 during the time that Epstein worked for him. 418 00:24:37,269 --> 00:24:38,939 But in my reporting, 419 00:24:38,937 --> 00:24:43,937 the best estimates hover around $400 million. 420 00:24:47,529 --> 00:24:51,739 CONCHITA: Leslie Wexner was a protector 421 00:24:51,742 --> 00:24:56,412 and seemed to be a facilitator for Jeffrey Epstein 422 00:24:56,997 --> 00:25:01,997 because he was the money man behind Epstein. 423 00:25:02,002 --> 00:25:06,052 And I also believe they had a very complicated relationship 424 00:25:06,048 --> 00:25:09,838 financially, personally, and in many other ways. 425 00:25:22,439 --> 00:25:23,819 No. 426 00:25:24,858 --> 00:25:26,858 ♪ 427 00:25:34,409 --> 00:25:36,619 - What exactly was the relationship? 428 00:25:38,038 --> 00:25:41,538 We know that it was more than a financial adviser, 429 00:25:41,542 --> 00:25:44,292 whether it was building his yacht, 430 00:25:44,294 --> 00:25:47,924 project managing things for him, like New Albany. 431 00:25:48,882 --> 00:25:52,682 Being involved in his personal life and his family in a way, 432 00:25:53,679 --> 00:25:58,479 it seems pretty clear that Epstein knew Wexner in a way 433 00:25:58,475 --> 00:26:03,475 that very few other people did and maybe no one else did. 434 00:26:08,026 --> 00:26:10,816 TIM: I've heard rumors over the years 435 00:26:10,821 --> 00:26:14,831 about Les's sexual orientation. 436 00:26:15,868 --> 00:26:19,958 But here's the thing... do we have anybody firsthand? 437 00:26:19,955 --> 00:26:25,285 Do we have anybody secondhand who can say, "Yes, I was involved with Les." 438 00:26:26,503 --> 00:26:28,513 Do these people exist? 439 00:26:29,506 --> 00:26:34,716 If they exist, I've never heard of them. I'd never met them. 440 00:26:37,472 --> 00:26:39,472 SOPHIE ALEXANDER: There are all these questions 441 00:26:39,474 --> 00:26:42,234 about the relationship that 442 00:26:42,227 --> 00:26:47,317 no one but Les Wexner probably knows the answer to 443 00:26:47,649 --> 00:26:51,649 because now Epstein's dead, and so, he took that to his grave. 444 00:26:55,532 --> 00:26:57,912 - Good morning. This is an NBC News special report. 445 00:26:57,910 --> 00:26:59,750 NBC News has learned that 446 00:26:59,745 --> 00:27:03,075 disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is dead. 447 00:27:03,081 --> 00:27:07,341 Epstein took his own life while he was behind bars here in New York... 448 00:27:07,336 --> 00:27:11,166 GLORIA ALLRED: The medical examiner said that it was suicide. 449 00:27:11,924 --> 00:27:14,804 There're a number of red flags. 450 00:27:14,801 --> 00:27:19,311 I'm not generally a person who believes in 451 00:27:19,306 --> 00:27:21,926 conspiracies unless they're proven, 452 00:27:23,852 --> 00:27:26,652 but this should never have happened. 453 00:27:26,647 --> 00:27:29,647 And there's so many questions that need to be answered. 454 00:27:29,650 --> 00:27:32,110 - The wound is down here. 455 00:27:32,110 --> 00:27:34,360 You'd think if somebody hung themselves, 456 00:27:34,363 --> 00:27:37,243 the wound would be maybe up here. - Yeah. Yes. 457 00:27:37,241 --> 00:27:39,581 Most hangings, the ligature slides up 458 00:27:39,576 --> 00:27:43,116 to beneath the, the, uh, jawbone, the mandible. 459 00:27:43,121 --> 00:27:44,791 Here, it's in the middle of the neck. 460 00:27:45,290 --> 00:27:49,630 And to add to it, there was a total breakdown in security. 461 00:27:49,628 --> 00:27:52,298 The video cameras didn't work, the guards went to sleep. 462 00:27:52,798 --> 00:27:55,928 CONCHITA: An active federal agent told me 463 00:27:55,926 --> 00:28:00,426 just days after he was arrested on July 6th of 2019, 464 00:28:00,430 --> 00:28:02,180 he said to me, on the phone, 465 00:28:02,182 --> 00:28:06,062 "Conchita, Epstein will not make it to trial." 466 00:28:07,145 --> 00:28:08,935 I said, "What do you mean?" 467 00:28:08,939 --> 00:28:11,609 And he said, "Just listen to what I'm telling you," 468 00:28:11,608 --> 00:28:13,438 and he repeated his statement. 469 00:28:13,443 --> 00:28:16,413 And of course, he didn't, you know, he didn't elaborate. 470 00:28:18,615 --> 00:28:22,785 GLORIA: So many victims wanted to see him face justice. 471 00:28:22,786 --> 00:28:26,116 They wanted their day in court. They'll never have it. 472 00:28:27,249 --> 00:28:30,339 And what that means is they were denied the whole truth, 473 00:28:30,335 --> 00:28:33,755 much of which could have come out at his trial. 474 00:28:33,755 --> 00:28:36,715 - Are these power players a priority for us right now? 475 00:28:36,717 --> 00:28:37,967 Can we even touch them? 476 00:28:37,968 --> 00:28:39,548 - No, it's like everything, um. 477 00:28:39,553 --> 00:28:42,643 You know, we, we-- It hides in plain sight. 478 00:28:42,639 --> 00:28:44,019 Epstein was hiding in plain sight. 479 00:28:44,016 --> 00:28:45,346 We all knew about him. 480 00:28:45,350 --> 00:28:46,980 We all knew what he was doing, 481 00:28:46,977 --> 00:28:48,807 but we had no one that would go after him. 482 00:28:48,812 --> 00:28:51,272 They were afraid of him. For whatever reason, they were afraid... 483 00:28:51,273 --> 00:28:54,363 - This is Cindy McCain, the wife of John McCain, 484 00:28:54,359 --> 00:28:57,199 admitting at a conference that everyone knew what Epstein was up to. 485 00:28:57,196 --> 00:29:01,116 And this is the wife of a former Republican presidential candidate. 486 00:29:01,116 --> 00:29:04,236 You know, that's hugely significant to say that it was just known 487 00:29:04,244 --> 00:29:06,044 and that powerful circles did nothing about it. 488 00:29:06,705 --> 00:29:10,035 And so, that directly undercuts this whole narrative that, you know, 489 00:29:10,042 --> 00:29:12,592 "Oh, it was just Epstein and he conned everyone." 490 00:29:12,586 --> 00:29:16,006 But this didn't get really any mainstream coverage, um, at all. 491 00:29:16,548 --> 00:29:20,178 - People need to understand the fact that government, 492 00:29:21,011 --> 00:29:25,021 the financial world, specifically, the banking world, 493 00:29:25,015 --> 00:29:28,515 have enabled Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. 494 00:29:29,102 --> 00:29:31,062 BARRY: Epstein was a collector of people. 495 00:29:31,063 --> 00:29:34,823 Not only did he do financial business with these places, 496 00:29:34,816 --> 00:29:38,986 but he also used them to bolster, uh, his own profile, 497 00:29:38,987 --> 00:29:42,157 same way he did with Les Wexner. 498 00:29:42,699 --> 00:29:44,949 NOAH KULWIN: As a guy who had never graduated college, 499 00:29:44,952 --> 00:29:48,412 Jeffrey Epstein was correctly assuming that if he gave enough money, 500 00:29:48,413 --> 00:29:51,253 then he could wear the Harvard sweater around no problem. 501 00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:53,090 And he would get some of that sheen. 502 00:29:53,085 --> 00:29:55,955 And he was absolutely right. It worked flawlessly. 503 00:29:57,464 --> 00:29:59,974 BARRY: There's no question that in death, 504 00:29:59,967 --> 00:30:05,307 Jeffrey Epstein now is continuing to destroy the lives and the reputations 505 00:30:05,305 --> 00:30:08,345 of many wealthy men. 506 00:30:09,184 --> 00:30:11,944 REPORTER 1: Wall Street power broker Leon Black 507 00:30:11,937 --> 00:30:13,807 is stepping down as CEO of the giant investment... 508 00:30:13,814 --> 00:30:16,484 REPORTER 2: Vanity Fair dives into Epstein's relationship 509 00:30:16,483 --> 00:30:18,403 with billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin. 510 00:30:18,402 --> 00:30:21,412 REPORTER 3: Barclays CEO Jes Staley is stepping down, 511 00:30:21,405 --> 00:30:22,655 this following an investigation... 512 00:30:22,656 --> 00:30:25,276 REPORTER 4: Britain's Prince Andrew says he is appalled 513 00:30:25,284 --> 00:30:28,084 by recent sex abuse claims about his former friend. 514 00:30:28,078 --> 00:30:29,198 REPORTER 5: Former President Bill Clinton 515 00:30:29,204 --> 00:30:32,884 reportedly took more than two dozen trips on Epstein's private jet. 516 00:30:32,875 --> 00:30:34,455 REPORTER 6: Controversy also put a spotlight 517 00:30:34,459 --> 00:30:36,839 on President Trump's relationship with Epstein. 518 00:30:36,837 --> 00:30:38,507 REPORTER 7: New questions are swirling around the state 519 00:30:38,505 --> 00:30:40,585 of Bill and Melinda Gates' marriage. 520 00:30:40,591 --> 00:30:42,511 One source of concern for Melinda 521 00:30:42,509 --> 00:30:46,219 was Bill's dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 522 00:30:46,221 --> 00:30:52,191 - Is there a lesson for you, for anyone else looking, looking at this? 523 00:30:52,186 --> 00:30:55,226 - Well, he's dead, so, uh, 524 00:30:55,230 --> 00:30:58,860 you know, in general, you always have to be careful, uh. 525 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,110 BARRY: All of these men have claimed 526 00:31:03,113 --> 00:31:08,123 that they were not aware of Jeffrey Epstein's secret life 527 00:31:09,036 --> 00:31:14,036 and that they were not participants in that dark world. 528 00:31:26,261 --> 00:31:29,141 CONCHITA: This was not about some drug cartel 529 00:31:29,139 --> 00:31:32,139 trafficking children into the United States. 530 00:31:32,809 --> 00:31:37,519 This was about a rich man, who did not need money, 531 00:31:37,523 --> 00:31:41,533 so why was he bringing children from all over the world 532 00:31:42,152 --> 00:31:45,992 and introducing them to politicians and rich men? 533 00:31:45,989 --> 00:31:47,409 Why was he doing this? 534 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:52,410 I believe that he needed them for something uniquely different. 535 00:31:53,372 --> 00:31:55,422 One, pleasure. 536 00:31:55,415 --> 00:31:58,585 And two, power. 537 00:31:59,044 --> 00:32:02,884 And that power came through blackmail. 538 00:32:02,881 --> 00:32:05,471 And that's what these girls were to him. 539 00:32:05,467 --> 00:32:09,347 They were a tool of blackmail. Period. 540 00:32:12,099 --> 00:32:14,769 WHITNEY: The earliest mention of this infrastructure 541 00:32:14,768 --> 00:32:18,058 being set up comes from The New York Times in 1996, 542 00:32:18,689 --> 00:32:22,779 talking about Epstein's mansion that he got from Wexner, 543 00:32:22,776 --> 00:32:26,946 where a lot of his notorious activities were known to have taken place. 544 00:32:27,489 --> 00:32:30,989 It describes this spy-style, James Bond bathroom 545 00:32:30,993 --> 00:32:35,963 connected to CCTV cameras throughout the premises. 546 00:32:35,956 --> 00:32:37,286 - Was there videotape? 547 00:32:37,291 --> 00:32:40,001 - Oh, yeah, it was all videoed, all the time. Yeah. 548 00:32:40,002 --> 00:32:41,752 And, and I asked him one time, "What do you do with this?" 549 00:32:41,753 --> 00:32:44,593 And he said, "I keep it. I keep everything in my safe." 550 00:32:44,590 --> 00:32:48,220 - The government officials, uh, the politicians, the royalty, 551 00:32:48,218 --> 00:32:50,598 like, you know, they were taping everybody. 552 00:32:51,263 --> 00:32:55,773 Every moment... when you walked in to, to the New York mansion, 553 00:32:55,767 --> 00:32:58,057 to Palm Beach, everything was being filmed. 554 00:32:58,937 --> 00:33:01,357 BARRY: There's still question to this day, 555 00:33:01,356 --> 00:33:04,106 "Where is all of that material?" 556 00:33:04,109 --> 00:33:07,489 Uh, has that material been hidden away? 557 00:33:08,155 --> 00:33:10,485 [indistinct chatter] 558 00:33:11,491 --> 00:33:13,491 ♪ 559 00:33:16,580 --> 00:33:19,210 There's an individual named John Mark Dougan. 560 00:33:19,208 --> 00:33:22,958 He's a former Palm Beach County sheriff's officer 561 00:33:22,961 --> 00:33:27,471 and he's told a story that's straight out of a spy novel. 562 00:33:29,885 --> 00:33:33,885 He claims the lead detective on the case in Palm Beach, Florida, 563 00:33:33,889 --> 00:33:38,939 turned over to John Mark Dougan 700 CDs 564 00:33:38,936 --> 00:33:41,306 containing video evidence 565 00:33:41,313 --> 00:33:44,613 involving men engaging in sexual relations 566 00:33:44,608 --> 00:33:48,778 with the, uh, young women at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion. 567 00:33:50,072 --> 00:33:55,372 Dougan claims that the, uh, authorities have seen these videotapes. 568 00:33:55,369 --> 00:34:00,669 What's interesting is that John Mark Dougan escaped to Russia. 569 00:34:01,834 --> 00:34:04,044 And you have to wonder, 570 00:34:04,044 --> 00:34:07,594 has this played into Putin's world? 571 00:34:07,589 --> 00:34:13,259 There's a photo of him and a man who was in Putin's inner circle. 572 00:34:13,262 --> 00:34:18,102 So, does Putin have something on individuals in the U.S. 573 00:34:18,100 --> 00:34:20,310 about any of this? 574 00:34:20,310 --> 00:34:25,270 Now, John Mark Dougan does categorically deny that. 575 00:34:25,274 --> 00:34:27,994 SARAH: No one has ever been able to establish 576 00:34:27,985 --> 00:34:31,905 that Epstein, in fact, did have recordings, 577 00:34:31,905 --> 00:34:35,195 but all you need is the fear of exposure 578 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:38,830 for that kind of power to accrue to him. 579 00:34:44,626 --> 00:34:45,916 WHITNEY: I think Leslie Wexner, 580 00:34:45,919 --> 00:34:48,879 because of his influence, his money, and his power, 581 00:34:48,881 --> 00:34:50,761 is able to operate in a way 582 00:34:50,757 --> 00:34:53,467 that other people in Ohio are not able to operate. 583 00:34:55,137 --> 00:34:56,967 TIM: In the 1990s, 584 00:34:57,764 --> 00:35:03,314 Les got some 747 cargo jets 585 00:35:03,312 --> 00:35:07,732 and helped establish Rickenbacker Airport 586 00:35:07,733 --> 00:35:12,743 as a thriving hub for international cargo. 587 00:35:13,197 --> 00:35:14,357 ♪ 588 00:35:15,824 --> 00:35:18,374 NOAH: 1995, a company called 589 00:35:18,368 --> 00:35:20,038 Southern Air Transport 590 00:35:20,037 --> 00:35:23,037 relocates from Miami to Columbus, Ohio, 591 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,080 with the assistance of Les Wexner. 592 00:35:25,626 --> 00:35:30,046 Southern Air Transport had been involved and connected to Iran-Contra. 593 00:35:30,756 --> 00:35:33,716 - Southern Air Transport was owned by the CIA. 594 00:35:33,717 --> 00:35:35,637 Now, it's a private company, 595 00:35:35,636 --> 00:35:40,636 but its competitors still call it the "CIA's favorite airline." 596 00:35:40,641 --> 00:35:45,151 - Epstein himself boasted that he had connections to the CIA. 597 00:35:47,773 --> 00:35:50,033 NOAH: Epstein visited the Clinton White House 598 00:35:50,025 --> 00:35:52,435 17 times. 599 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,490 Twelve of those times happened in 1994 alone, 600 00:35:57,491 --> 00:36:00,791 the year before Les Wexner helps relocate 601 00:36:00,786 --> 00:36:04,666 Southern Air Transport from Miami to Columbus. 602 00:36:04,665 --> 00:36:09,495 Now, what business might Jeffrey Epstein have had at the Clinton White House? 603 00:36:10,420 --> 00:36:12,630 We don't know. We may never know. 604 00:36:12,631 --> 00:36:14,631 ♪ 605 00:36:22,391 --> 00:36:24,021 - Um, so. 606 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:27,980 So, so, so there has, there has been reporting to that effect. 607 00:36:27,980 --> 00:36:29,860 And, and let me say, um, 608 00:36:29,857 --> 00:36:33,737 there's been reporting to a lot of effects in, in, in this case, 609 00:36:33,735 --> 00:36:36,815 uh, not just now, but over the years. And... 610 00:36:36,822 --> 00:36:38,242 BARRY: Alexander Acosta 611 00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:42,240 was the lawyer for the Southern District in Miami 612 00:36:42,244 --> 00:36:44,964 during Epstein's slap on the wrist conviction. 613 00:36:45,789 --> 00:36:47,619 - This is what the news is like now. 614 00:36:47,624 --> 00:36:49,674 Acosta's always been able to be a little vague 615 00:36:49,668 --> 00:36:52,248 in his justifications for why he did this agreement 616 00:36:52,254 --> 00:36:53,964 to not prosecute Epstein. 617 00:36:53,964 --> 00:36:57,514 BARRY: A few years later, Acosta claimed that 618 00:36:57,509 --> 00:37:01,599 Jeffrey Epstein's, uh, very mild sentencing 619 00:37:01,597 --> 00:37:04,557 came as a result of higher ups 620 00:37:04,558 --> 00:37:10,558 who told Acosta that, uh, Epstein was connected to intelligence. 621 00:37:11,273 --> 00:37:15,113 But there's yet another level to this story. 622 00:37:15,861 --> 00:37:20,491 Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein operated in this inner world 623 00:37:20,490 --> 00:37:24,040 of very, very wealthy men 624 00:37:24,036 --> 00:37:27,076 who were staunch backers of Israel 625 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:32,380 and who are rumored to have various connections to the Mossad. 626 00:37:35,797 --> 00:37:39,757 In fact, Ghislaine Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell, 627 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:43,060 was said to have been connected to the Mossad 628 00:37:43,055 --> 00:37:46,055 through Israeli intelligence. 629 00:37:49,686 --> 00:37:51,396 SARA: I remember post-9/11, 630 00:37:51,396 --> 00:37:53,566 when Les came into the store, 631 00:37:53,565 --> 00:37:56,775 he had a bulletproof vest on and always had a lot of security with him. 632 00:37:57,819 --> 00:38:01,319 We knew that he was very involved in Israel. 633 00:38:01,323 --> 00:38:02,663 That was what we were sort of told 634 00:38:02,658 --> 00:38:06,328 why there was so much, um, security for him then. 635 00:38:06,328 --> 00:38:09,828 It was kind of a big deal, but it was pretty regular. 636 00:38:10,958 --> 00:38:15,378 BARRY: Les was always a huge pro-Israel endorser 637 00:38:15,379 --> 00:38:18,549 and gave a, a great deal of money to, uh, many charities 638 00:38:18,549 --> 00:38:21,549 and through the Wexner Foundation. 639 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:27,019 - Epstein was always in the background, moving money around on behalf of Wexner. 640 00:38:27,558 --> 00:38:30,938 And Wexner's money was the engine for organizations 641 00:38:30,936 --> 00:38:33,396 which had enormous political influence. 642 00:38:34,898 --> 00:38:36,398 NOAH: In the 2000s, 643 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:38,190 The Wexner Foundation paid a bunch of money 644 00:38:38,193 --> 00:38:42,703 to come up with a communications strategy related to the Iraq war 645 00:38:42,698 --> 00:38:46,618 to, you know, win the hearts and minds on behalf of Israel. 646 00:38:46,618 --> 00:38:50,288 But at a certain point though, you know, part of their involvement 647 00:38:50,289 --> 00:38:53,499 is to be plugged into this bigger political game 648 00:38:54,543 --> 00:38:58,553 to make sure that their preferred outcomes happen, 649 00:38:59,381 --> 00:39:03,261 which makes you wonder how many more layers there are to this world. 650 00:39:06,305 --> 00:39:10,765 Where the story of Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein 651 00:39:10,767 --> 00:39:14,097 starts to feel even darker to me is when you start to think about 652 00:39:14,104 --> 00:39:17,824 what are the ideas that these guys might've shared? 653 00:39:17,816 --> 00:39:21,816 What are the beliefs about the world, about humanity? 654 00:39:21,820 --> 00:39:23,820 What did they hold in common? 655 00:39:25,699 --> 00:39:27,619 MICHAEL: I've been told that Wexner was 656 00:39:27,618 --> 00:39:30,038 so egomaniacal 657 00:39:30,037 --> 00:39:33,997 that he commissioned the creation of an artificial intelligence bot. 658 00:39:33,999 --> 00:39:37,339 Something like IBM's Watson, only called Wexner, 659 00:39:37,336 --> 00:39:41,966 to impart his timeless knowledge of marketing and merchandizing. 660 00:39:43,258 --> 00:39:45,258 NOAH: And there's also this report 661 00:39:45,260 --> 00:39:50,060 that Jeffrey Epstein sought out the leading scientists 662 00:39:50,057 --> 00:39:52,097 that he could buy access to 663 00:39:52,100 --> 00:39:54,600 for his experiment to artificially inseminate 664 00:39:54,603 --> 00:39:56,813 dozens of women with his semen 665 00:39:56,813 --> 00:40:00,733 in an effort to improve the quality of the human race, 666 00:40:00,734 --> 00:40:03,114 you know, with his genetic material. 667 00:40:03,111 --> 00:40:06,071 Um, evidently, there were not many takers. 668 00:40:08,033 --> 00:40:11,453 The idea of having a legacy that lives on forever, 669 00:40:11,453 --> 00:40:16,003 whether it's Epstein's master race or Les Wexner's AI scheming, 670 00:40:15,999 --> 00:40:20,919 you know, it all speaks to this very scary, dark, ideological place 671 00:40:20,921 --> 00:40:24,761 that our country's ruling class and elites reside in, 672 00:40:24,758 --> 00:40:27,798 and the rest of us are not a part of their plan. 673 00:40:27,803 --> 00:40:29,813 ♪ 674 00:40:31,557 --> 00:40:33,597 MICHAEL: The Epstein scandal pulled back a curtain 675 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:37,900 and shone a light on at least some of the secret behavior 676 00:40:37,896 --> 00:40:40,396 of billionaires in our world. 677 00:40:40,399 --> 00:40:42,989 And we were never supposed to see any of it. 678 00:40:42,985 --> 00:40:47,565 This is all a story that was meant to be hidden and stay hidden. 679 00:40:56,665 --> 00:40:58,665 ♪ 680 00:40:58,667 --> 00:41:03,297 - There are still so many unanswered questions about Epstein, 681 00:41:03,297 --> 00:41:08,507 the people who were around him, and what exactly they were doing. 682 00:41:10,012 --> 00:41:14,562 Wexner's secrecy doesn't seem to have served him 683 00:41:14,558 --> 00:41:16,188 nor Victoria's Secret. 684 00:41:19,563 --> 00:41:21,523 BARRY: In the wake of investigations 685 00:41:21,523 --> 00:41:24,363 that are continuing to take place, 686 00:41:24,359 --> 00:41:28,069 a lawsuit was filed in Delaware 687 00:41:28,071 --> 00:41:30,571 on behalf of shareholders involving 688 00:41:30,574 --> 00:41:32,834 Wexner's, uh, company. 689 00:41:32,826 --> 00:41:34,366 REPORTER: According to a complaint filed by 690 00:41:34,369 --> 00:41:36,119 a current L Brands shareholder, 691 00:41:36,121 --> 00:41:39,081 Leslie Wexner created a culture within his company 692 00:41:39,082 --> 00:41:41,542 of misogyny, bullying, and harassment, 693 00:41:41,543 --> 00:41:45,803 as well as ties to Jeffrey Epstein and other egregious mismanagement. 694 00:41:45,797 --> 00:41:48,377 - Victoria's Secret is doing damage control tonight, 695 00:41:48,383 --> 00:41:52,643 fighting back against accusations of sexual harassment by a top executive. 696 00:41:53,347 --> 00:41:56,347 NICOLE: In 2020, in this New York Times piece, 697 00:41:56,350 --> 00:41:59,270 we learned that employees and models 698 00:41:59,269 --> 00:42:01,809 had actually lodged harassment claims 699 00:42:01,813 --> 00:42:05,693 against Ed Razek back in 2018. 700 00:42:05,692 --> 00:42:06,782 REPORTER 1: According to The Times, 701 00:42:06,777 --> 00:42:11,107 Razek tried to kiss models and asked them to sit on his lap. 702 00:42:11,114 --> 00:42:13,744 REPORTER 2: Supermodel Bella Hadid was reportedly subjected 703 00:42:13,742 --> 00:42:16,622 to crude comments about her breasts. 704 00:42:16,620 --> 00:42:18,910 REPORTER 3: The lawsuit says that despite numerous complaints 705 00:42:18,914 --> 00:42:21,424 made to the company's human resources department, 706 00:42:21,416 --> 00:42:24,126 neither Les Wexner nor any member of the board 707 00:42:24,127 --> 00:42:25,917 did anything about it. 708 00:42:25,921 --> 00:42:28,801 REPORTER 4: Razek released a statement calling the accusations 709 00:42:28,799 --> 00:42:33,139 "categorically untrue, misconstrued, or taken out of context." 710 00:42:34,847 --> 00:42:37,137 NICOLE: The claims against Ed 711 00:42:37,140 --> 00:42:40,270 and the Jeffrey Epstein relationship 712 00:42:40,269 --> 00:42:42,599 all come to light in the press, 713 00:42:42,604 --> 00:42:47,404 and together, it became a story that you couldn't ignore. 714 00:42:48,402 --> 00:42:52,612 It was a perfect storm of problems for Les Wexner. 715 00:42:53,657 --> 00:42:54,777 Things were falling apart. 716 00:42:58,203 --> 00:42:59,913 SARAH: By 2021, 717 00:42:59,913 --> 00:43:03,423 Wexner's empire was reduced to two companies: 718 00:43:03,417 --> 00:43:06,417 Victoria's Secret, and Bath & Body Works. 719 00:43:07,296 --> 00:43:09,376 Because of the controversies surrounding it, 720 00:43:09,381 --> 00:43:13,011 Victoria's Secret was dragging L Brands' stock down. 721 00:43:13,802 --> 00:43:15,642 JAMES MITAROTONDA: In the case of L Brands, 722 00:43:15,637 --> 00:43:17,637 change was needed. 723 00:43:17,639 --> 00:43:22,099 It was so much pessimism, at the time, about Victoria's Secret, 724 00:43:22,102 --> 00:43:26,062 and so, we issued a plan to improve shareholder value. 725 00:43:26,064 --> 00:43:28,654 ♪ 726 00:43:28,650 --> 00:43:32,240 REPORTER: Our state's richest man is officially retired. 727 00:43:32,237 --> 00:43:34,737 Les Wexner was the longest-serving CEO 728 00:43:34,740 --> 00:43:38,080 in S&P 500 history with 56 years on the job. 729 00:43:39,328 --> 00:43:43,328 - Must have been difficult for Les to, to step down like that. 730 00:43:43,332 --> 00:43:46,502 That's the kind, you know, thoughtful side of me, 731 00:43:46,502 --> 00:43:50,382 and then, on a business side, I was like, "It's about time." 732 00:43:50,380 --> 00:43:52,590 - Are you able to say why you decided to step down? 733 00:43:52,591 --> 00:43:55,141 Was it related to concerns about culture within your company? 734 00:43:55,135 --> 00:43:56,965 LES: No, of course not. 735 00:43:56,970 --> 00:44:00,140 - Or the fallout from Mr. Epstein? - Thanks. 736 00:44:00,140 --> 00:44:02,140 ♪ 737 00:44:03,227 --> 00:44:06,187 MICHAEL: The only way for Victoria's Secret 738 00:44:06,188 --> 00:44:07,728 to survive 739 00:44:07,731 --> 00:44:13,451 is if they can appear to be a newborn, 740 00:44:13,445 --> 00:44:17,485 not the product of Les Wexner, or a product of The Limited, 741 00:44:17,491 --> 00:44:20,241 or an offspring of Victoria's Secret, 742 00:44:20,244 --> 00:44:23,164 but a whole new idea for a whole new world. 743 00:44:23,830 --> 00:44:26,460 REPORTER: Victoria's Secret saying goodbye to its Angels. 744 00:44:26,458 --> 00:44:30,498 The company is making a major shift as it begins to rebrand, 745 00:44:30,504 --> 00:44:32,424 aiming to be more inclusive. 746 00:44:32,422 --> 00:44:36,222 - They're replacing the cat walkers with woke-talkers. 747 00:44:36,218 --> 00:44:37,588 REPORTER 2: The company is now signing 748 00:44:37,594 --> 00:44:39,684 seven women with unique backgrounds, 749 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:41,970 including soccer star Megan Rapinoe 750 00:44:41,974 --> 00:44:45,314 and transgender Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio. 751 00:44:45,310 --> 00:44:47,060 REPORTER 3: Will this rebranding work? 752 00:44:47,062 --> 00:44:50,072 Will consumers return to this giant retailer? 753 00:44:50,065 --> 00:44:52,565 Or did they miss the boat with being diverse and inclusive? 754 00:44:54,152 --> 00:44:57,322 NICOLE: Victoria's Secret has replaced the Angels 755 00:44:57,322 --> 00:44:58,912 with the VS Collective, 756 00:44:58,907 --> 00:45:02,077 which is a group of women that they selected 757 00:45:02,077 --> 00:45:06,157 for their diversity and for their activism. 758 00:45:06,999 --> 00:45:11,589 - Now, you see Victoria's Secret desperately, and really desperately, 759 00:45:11,587 --> 00:45:15,547 I mean, you can see them sweat trying to catch up. 760 00:45:15,549 --> 00:45:18,969 - The transformation that we have at Victoria's Secret 761 00:45:18,969 --> 00:45:22,559 begins with the admission that we got it wrong. 762 00:45:22,556 --> 00:45:25,806 We lost relevance with the modern woman. 763 00:45:25,809 --> 00:45:28,229 - Victoria's Secret attempting what some are calling 764 00:45:28,228 --> 00:45:30,188 one of the biggest brand transformations 765 00:45:30,189 --> 00:45:31,979 in recent memory. 766 00:45:32,983 --> 00:45:35,653 FREDERIQUE: I'm glad Victoria's Secret woke up. 767 00:45:35,652 --> 00:45:37,072 They had to. 768 00:45:37,070 --> 00:45:40,280 Were they late to the table? Absolutely. 769 00:45:41,033 --> 00:45:43,413 SARA: It feels a little focus group-y. 770 00:45:43,410 --> 00:45:46,080 Like it came out of a think tank a little bit, 771 00:45:46,079 --> 00:45:47,999 but it's a step forward. 772 00:45:48,832 --> 00:45:50,832 ♪ 773 00:45:54,671 --> 00:45:56,591 CASEY: With the change of management, 774 00:45:56,590 --> 00:46:00,390 Victoria's Secret's making really great strides 775 00:46:00,385 --> 00:46:05,385 to change the brand into a women's brand versus a man's brand sold to women. 776 00:46:07,267 --> 00:46:09,097 They're featuring pregnant models. 777 00:46:09,102 --> 00:46:12,022 They're featuring models who are older. 778 00:46:12,022 --> 00:46:14,652 They're featuring models with different body types, 779 00:46:14,650 --> 00:46:18,030 which is exactly what everybody wanted to see 780 00:46:18,028 --> 00:46:21,238 in 2016, 2017, 2018. 781 00:46:23,659 --> 00:46:28,499 - Sexy is obviously something to be celebrated, 782 00:46:28,497 --> 00:46:29,867 but it is broader 783 00:46:30,541 --> 00:46:35,171 because a female consumer is not just one thing, she's many. 784 00:46:35,546 --> 00:46:37,546 ♪ 785 00:46:41,969 --> 00:46:44,099 LYNDSEY: It's hard for me to look at Victoria's Secret the same way 786 00:46:44,096 --> 00:46:47,216 after all of the allegations that have come out. 787 00:46:47,641 --> 00:46:50,191 I think they do have a lot of work to do 788 00:46:50,185 --> 00:46:55,395 to prove that they... are changing. 789 00:46:55,399 --> 00:46:57,649 But I guess only time will tell. 790 00:47:00,028 --> 00:47:01,908 TODD THOMAS: Is it reactive? Probably. 791 00:47:02,656 --> 00:47:05,986 Should you do it... right? Yeah, you should. 792 00:47:05,993 --> 00:47:09,003 I mean, you know, so it's kind of like, "What are the options?" 793 00:47:08,996 --> 00:47:12,206 To get criticized for changing or don't change? 794 00:47:16,795 --> 00:47:19,505 LINDSEY CASELLA: Just because your branding is earth tones 795 00:47:19,506 --> 00:47:21,046 and "feel good" messaging 796 00:47:21,049 --> 00:47:22,679 doesn't mean that 797 00:47:22,676 --> 00:47:25,296 you're actually believing in these things. 798 00:47:26,346 --> 00:47:28,766 I personally feel like it's just a good marketing campaign 799 00:47:28,765 --> 00:47:30,675 and nothing else. 800 00:47:32,227 --> 00:47:36,687 Today, a male is still the leader of this organization 801 00:47:36,690 --> 00:47:39,190 creating a woman-driven industry. 802 00:47:41,570 --> 00:47:43,570 ♪ 803 00:47:45,866 --> 00:47:47,406 DOROTHEA BARTH-JORGENSEN: The fashion industry is 804 00:47:47,409 --> 00:47:49,619 based on something that is not true. 805 00:47:51,371 --> 00:47:54,121 I don't know how long that illusion will last. 806 00:47:54,124 --> 00:47:56,924 And I think the brands that will do well 807 00:47:56,919 --> 00:48:00,259 is the ones that is coming from true integrity. 808 00:48:02,841 --> 00:48:05,681 MICHAEL: The complex of magazines, manufacturers, 809 00:48:05,677 --> 00:48:08,137 designers, models 810 00:48:08,138 --> 00:48:10,428 is still going to exist, 811 00:48:10,432 --> 00:48:12,062 but it's going to be very different. 812 00:48:13,143 --> 00:48:15,193 The magazine brands don't matter. 813 00:48:17,147 --> 00:48:20,607 Malls all across America, they're dying. 814 00:48:20,609 --> 00:48:24,609 Social media has changed things, 815 00:48:24,613 --> 00:48:27,283 but it's not the end of this change. 816 00:48:27,282 --> 00:48:28,872 It's just the beginning. 817 00:48:30,035 --> 00:48:33,495 NICOLE: How great that we have entered an era 818 00:48:33,497 --> 00:48:37,747 where difference is beginning to be celebrated. 819 00:48:38,252 --> 00:48:39,922 But at the same time, 820 00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:43,050 Instagram has totally created 821 00:48:43,048 --> 00:48:46,838 this insane world of filters, 822 00:48:46,844 --> 00:48:51,064 and the plastic surgeons are racing to keep up 823 00:48:51,056 --> 00:48:56,016 with whatever the trends of these filters are making people look like. 824 00:48:56,019 --> 00:48:58,019 ♪ 825 00:48:58,856 --> 00:49:01,356 ASHLEY MEARS: If you look at influencers, 826 00:49:01,358 --> 00:49:03,858 it's an extremely homogenous look. 827 00:49:03,861 --> 00:49:09,121 Like, the lips, the pose, the hair, the, the butt, the breasts. 828 00:49:09,908 --> 00:49:15,748 I think that Victoria's Secret's... legacy is very present there. 829 00:49:15,747 --> 00:49:17,617 ♪ 830 00:49:28,135 --> 00:49:30,255 REPORTER: Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late 831 00:49:30,262 --> 00:49:33,182 and disgraced media mogul Robert Maxwell, 832 00:49:33,182 --> 00:49:36,352 has tonight been found guilty of having helped her lover, 833 00:49:36,351 --> 00:49:40,521 the financier Jeffrey Epstein, sexually abuse teenage girls. 834 00:49:41,481 --> 00:49:43,861 SARAH: Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in 2020 835 00:49:43,859 --> 00:49:46,199 for her association with Epstein. 836 00:49:46,195 --> 00:49:47,525 Now that she's been found guilty, 837 00:49:47,529 --> 00:49:50,029 she could spend the rest of her life in prison. 838 00:49:50,032 --> 00:49:52,992 REPORTER: Um, Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison. 839 00:49:52,993 --> 00:49:55,453 Do you feel that she's going to turn in powerful men? 840 00:49:55,454 --> 00:49:57,924 - I just wish her well, frankly. 841 00:49:57,915 --> 00:50:01,535 SARAH: The powerful, uber wealthy 842 00:50:01,543 --> 00:50:03,883 people who were around Epstein 843 00:50:03,879 --> 00:50:06,509 have reputations to protect, 844 00:50:06,507 --> 00:50:10,047 and have been, up to this point, sort of impenetrable. 845 00:50:10,052 --> 00:50:13,642 They all have this, this chink of vulnerability. 846 00:50:14,973 --> 00:50:18,353 - An investigation is underway in Paris after a close associate 847 00:50:18,352 --> 00:50:20,772 of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, 848 00:50:20,771 --> 00:50:23,071 modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 849 00:50:23,065 --> 00:50:25,025 was found dead this morning in his prison cell. 850 00:50:25,025 --> 00:50:30,315 - The family of Ghislaine Maxwell says they're worried for her safety... 851 00:50:30,322 --> 00:50:31,822 REPORTER: This is astounding to hear, 852 00:50:31,823 --> 00:50:36,453 considering the fact that he died exactly the same way Jeffrey Epstein did. 853 00:50:37,371 --> 00:50:38,871 WHITNEY: Epstein was just one person 854 00:50:38,872 --> 00:50:41,172 operating within this network. 855 00:50:41,166 --> 00:50:43,666 And if you look more at what the power structure is 856 00:50:43,669 --> 00:50:45,749 that enabled Epstein to do this, 857 00:50:45,754 --> 00:50:49,884 this network is, essentially, a business that's too big to fail, 858 00:50:49,883 --> 00:50:53,433 sort of like the Wall Street banks in the 2008 crisis 859 00:50:53,428 --> 00:50:56,598 because of their reach and the damage that would be done, 860 00:50:56,598 --> 00:50:58,228 the same power structure. 861 00:50:58,225 --> 00:51:01,395 If it was investigated and, uh, brought into the forefront 862 00:51:01,395 --> 00:51:03,015 of American public consciousness, 863 00:51:03,021 --> 00:51:06,651 it would have, you know, similarly huge ramifications. 864 00:51:09,820 --> 00:51:12,780 CINDY: The board of L Brands 865 00:51:12,781 --> 00:51:15,781 conducted two investigations 866 00:51:16,702 --> 00:51:21,332 into the business relationship between Epstein and Wexner 867 00:51:21,999 --> 00:51:25,129 and have made no public report. 868 00:51:27,671 --> 00:51:31,881 If something was done that was illegal, 869 00:51:33,719 --> 00:51:35,719 that needs to be reported. 870 00:51:48,692 --> 00:51:51,322 NOAH: I grew up near too many malls to count. 871 00:51:52,070 --> 00:51:54,110 And if I were to go into a mall, 872 00:51:54,114 --> 00:51:58,624 and I were to open up my wallet and spend dollars on clothes as a kid, 873 00:51:58,619 --> 00:52:00,579 you know, there's a good chance that those dollars 874 00:52:00,579 --> 00:52:04,209 were goin' to Les Wexner, and, you know, axiomatically, 875 00:52:04,208 --> 00:52:06,668 those dollars were goin' to Jeffrey Epstein. 876 00:52:06,668 --> 00:52:09,248 ♪ 877 00:52:15,052 --> 00:52:17,852 SARAH: I think Wexner is going to be remembered 878 00:52:17,846 --> 00:52:21,426 as an enormously visionary 879 00:52:21,433 --> 00:52:26,563 and also incredibly flawed and damaged person 880 00:52:26,563 --> 00:52:29,113 in the history of American business. 881 00:52:30,025 --> 00:52:34,525 The Epstein story has done more damage to him 882 00:52:34,530 --> 00:52:38,490 than anything else in his life. 883 00:52:42,579 --> 00:52:46,579 Even as his legacy has been tarnished, 884 00:52:47,501 --> 00:52:50,671 he's still amassing wealth 885 00:52:50,671 --> 00:52:54,721 and still one of the most powerful billionaires in the country. 886 00:53:00,138 --> 00:53:02,218 LES: I remember... my dad said, 887 00:53:02,224 --> 00:53:04,434 "You have a lot of ability, 888 00:53:05,894 --> 00:53:07,654 "much more than I ever thought you had. 889 00:53:07,646 --> 00:53:09,646 [audience cheering] 890 00:53:10,732 --> 00:53:14,742 You have real ability and just be careful how you use it." 891 00:53:21,410 --> 00:53:23,410 ♪ solemn music playing ♪ 892 00:53:58,697 --> 00:54:00,697 ♪ 893 00:54:33,941 --> 00:54:35,941 ♪