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TMZ.com
Emmet McDermott‘s documentary — #1 on Netflix right now — exposes Abercrombie & Fitch’s racist view of beauty, which he says was illegally applied to the company’s hiring and firing practices.
Emmet joined us Thursday on TMZ Live to discuss his docufilm, “White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch” … which features former employees revealing a toxic workplace that emphasized thin, white beautiful people as their vision of “All-American.”
We’re not just talking about the models — Emmet says the company would phase out employees who looked “off-brand.” He puts it plainly … if you weren’t good-looking or white, you’re out.
The company even had a certain way for their employees to look, eliminating things — certain hairstyles and jewelry — it deemed to be associated with other, non-white cultures.
Clearly, A&F had crossed some legal lines when it comes to hiring based on race … and it’s made efforts to turn that around.
The company’s current CEO, Fran Horowitz, posted a statement after the doc dropped, saying “We’re focused on inclusivity – and continuing that transformation is our enduring promise to you, our community. Always Forward.”
While Horowitz defended the company, many users made their beliefs clear … calling the apology “too little, too late.”