Kenneth Glad
A leading modelling agency has cut ties with its founder after newly examined US Justice Department records highlighted her long-running relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The decision is likely to intensify scrutiny of how elite agencies managed access to powerful figures during the years before Epstein’s network came fully into view.
Next Management said it is severing all remaining legal links with Faith Kates, adding her association with Epstein “was completely and absolutely unknown to Next management and its top executives,” The Guardian reported.
The agency also said it was “deeply sorry” for any impact on models or staff. That raises a simple question: who was checking?
Kates stepped down weeks before the first major release of Epstein-related files. Her spokesperson says she never knowingly exposed models to harm and described Epstein as “a master manipulator.”
Relationship under scrutiny
Documents from the US Department of Justice, reviewed by the British newspaper, indicate a decades-long connection that continued after Epstein’s 2009 conviction.
In one email sent while he was in custody, Kates wrote:
“I am and will always be your friend…Unconditionally…will always be there for you.”
Soon after his release, she added:
“You are a good friend my dear friend..”
Later exchanges moved beyond personal support into discussions about business matters, including possible financial backing linked to her agency. Her representatives say no such arrangements were finalised.
Epstein’s ties to finance, academia and politics have been examined in multiple investigations and legal cases.
The latest findings suggest the modelling world may also have been more exposed to his network than previously understood.
Access and accountability
The Guardian’s reporting suggests that Epstein was introduced into modelling circles through professional channels, reflecting longstanding practices of connecting talent with wealthy figures.
Some former models described uncomfortable encounters in work-related settings, including one who later said: “It was like a brick in my stomach realising I dodged a bullet.” Kates disputes such accounts.
Even as allegations against Epstein became more widely known, contact appears to have continued. In emails cited by The Guardian, she wrote: “Money motivates people,” and in another instance: “She should be so lucky people are nuts.”
The records also show Epstein requesting introductions to women within the agency’s orbit.
Regulators and industry bodies may now face mounting pressure to examine whether past failures in oversight could translate into legal exposure or stricter safeguarding rules across the sector.
Source: The Guardian
