L Brands founder Leslie H. Wexner has said previously that he severed his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein more than a decade ago and that he was unaware of Epstein’s alleged crimes. Leslie Wexner Credit: Courtesy of TNS
Leslie H. Wexner, chairman of the Wexner Medical Center Board and founder of L Brands, was named in newly unsealed documents related to the child sex trafficking ring run by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, shedding more light on his involvement.
The court documents were filed against Maxwell, Epstein’s co-conspirator, by Virginia Giuffre, a woman who accused Maxwell of trafficking her for Epstein. Wexner is mentioned in questions several times during the deposition.
Within the documents, a witness said that she never met Wexner, with Maxwell also testifying that a woman was never provided any “sexual outfits” to wear for Wexner when directly asked by Giuffre’s attorney.
Wexner, however, was placed on Giuffre’s Rule 26 list of people, meaning he is likely to have discoverable information to support Giuffre’s claims of Epstein’s alleged abuse.
Epstein was charged with sexually abusing dozens of minors for many years, creating a vast sex trafficking ring that other people were suspected to have benefited from as well. He died by apparent suicide in 2019 before he could face the charges.
Wexner has an extensive history with Epstein, who served as his financier and had incredible access to Wexner’s wealth. According to a 2019 article in the New York Times, Wexner authorized Epstein to “borrow money on his behalf, to sign his tax returns, to hire people and to make acquisitions.”
Wexner handed power of attorney over to Epstein in 1991, meaning Epstein had complete control over Wexner’s property, including his finances, and was able to act on his behalf in business and legal matters. He was also able to obtain numerous properties that were all previously owned by Wexner, according to the Times.
Epstein benefited from Wexner’s wealth and used the Victoria’s Secret brand to his own end. He was accused of posing as a talent scout for Victoria’s Secret by Alicia Arden, and according to a police report obtained by the New York Times, Epstein attempted to undress her and said he wanted to “manhandle her.”
It is unclear if Wexner ever took proper action, though he was made aware of Epstein posing as a scout, according to the same article from the Times.
Epstein also sexually assaulted a woman working on an art project for him inside his mansion in New Albany, Ohio, which resided on land developed by Wexner. According to the Times, Wexner’s security staff refused to let her leave for 12 hours after the incident occurred.
In 2006, Epstein was arrested for soliciting prostitution from a minor. It took Wexner 18 months to cut ties with Epstein, according to the Times.
According to the Associated Press, Wexner said he was taken advantage of by Epstein, calling him “so sick, so cunning, so depraved” during a 2019 L Brands investor day in Columbus.
There have been no charges against Wexner at the time of publication.
