J. Crew's website went down — and an odd message said its 'generative AI backend' was 'healthy'

J. Crew's website went down — and an odd message said its 'generative AI backend' was 'healthy' J.Crew's website crashed on Monday. Bloomberg/Getty Images The website of clothing retailer J.Crew crashed Monday, leaving shoppers with a bizarre message: "JCrew generative AI Backend is healthy."Multiple screenshots posted to social media by puzzled customers showed the statement on the brand's website set against an otherwise blank, black page.wtf is up with the @jcrew website https://t.co/08D0NN7phI— Angela (@angelamaay) October 19, 2026 "Wtf is up with the @jcrew website," one online browser posted to X along with a screenshot. J. Crew's customer service account responded to the post shortly after, saying, "We're working to get the site back up and running - sorry for the trouble. Hope you'll check back soon!"In an apparent attempt to make up for the odd disruption, J.Crew later emailed its customers a 20% discount code that expires on Thursday. J.Crew's email to customers. J.Crew "We're sorry!" the email viewed by Business Insider read. "Thanks for your patience during our recent technical issues at jcrew.com. As a token of our gratitude, enjoy an extra 20% off your next purchase."It was not immediately clear what caused the website to malfunction or whether it was related to AI. Representatives for J.Crew did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider on Tuesday. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Natalie is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Business News team covering the AI and data center boom.She was previously on BI's Legal Affairs team, where she handled major cases coming out of state and federal court, as well as bankruptcy. Her coverage often focused on stories at the intersection of law, business, politics, and technology. Natalie has covered Donald Trump’s criminal and civil cases, the wave of lawsuits against the second Trump administration, the indictment and criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the legal battles facing Elon Musk and his companies. Natalie came to Business Insider in June 2021 as a breaking news reporter, focusing on the most interesting angles on the day's trending news. Natalie largely drove BI’s coverage around the fatal “Rust” shooting involving Alec Baldwin and the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito.Prior to joining BI, Natalie worked for the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and The Brooklyn Paper. She has an extensive background covering crime and courts. During her more than 12-year journalism career, she did a stint covering the police beat out of the New York Police Department's headquarters. Natalie, a Brooklyn native, graduated from Brooklyn College in 2012 with a degree in journalism. AI Retail