Faith Kates' Epstein Ties: Next Management's Silence

0:00On March 27th, a Guardian investigation has uncovered a much closer relationship between Faith Cates, the founder of Top Modeling Agency Next, management and Jeffrey Epstein, than previously known. The 68-year-old executive, who ran the agency for decades, representing stars like Billy Eilish and Milo Joevavic, shared frequent emails, with Epstein over nearly 40 years. She offered him support after his 2009 conviction for soliciting a minor and introduced several of her young models to him. Emails from U.S. Department of Justice files show Cates calling Epstein a dear friend and seeking his advice on big business moves. They discussed multi-million dollar loans and her efforts to buy out co-owners of the agency. She even connected him with aspiring actresses and models for events into the 2010s, long after his first arrest. Models who spoke out described awkward meetings arranged by Cates, like one where Epstein inspected their bodies at next offices or another at his, home.

1:01None reported abuse, but they felt uneasy years later upon learning his full story. Industry advocates highlight how common it was back then to mix models with wealthy men outside fashion. Next, management, which had stayed silent until now, says a new nothing of Cates' ties to Epstein. The agency is cutting all legal connections with her and apologizes for any impact on clients. This is team insists she never put models at risk and that Epstein hid his true nature. These findings raise fresh questions about safeguards and modeling, especially as more Epstein documents surface. Next continues operating with a focus on model safety amid the fallout.