West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is facing allegations from seven women that he abused his power to prey on them for sex, which the former joint-chairman now denies.
In a Panorama documentary broadcast on Monday, the women say they were subjected to sexually exploitative and predatory behavior from Sullivan when they were models looking for work at the Daily & Sunday Sport, a publication run by Sullivan.
The accusations, dating back to the 1980s, were revealed as part of a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times. Sullivan is accused of pressuring women to have sex during business meetings and offering women professional incentives in exchange for sleeping with him or performing oral sex on him.
One woman, who went by the alias Florence, said she felt pressured to have sex with Sullivan when she didn’t want to.
The allegations, all of which come from women in their late teens or early 20s, Sullivan “categorically” denied.
A statement from BBC Panorama and The Times on Saturday said: “BBC Panorama and The Times are working together on a joint investigation into the conduct of David Sullivan, who has announced he will step down as joint chairman and manager of West Ham United. Over decades, he earned millions from pornography, newspapers and football. The investigation is set to be broadcast and published on Monday.”
Sullivan resigned from his position as joint-chairman of West Ham before the allegations were aired.
Read his statement“I recently realized that decades-old completely untrue and false allegations regarding my personal life were being broadcast and published.
“The media have sensationalized false allegations against me. After spending my life building businesses in the adult industry, where I have met thousands of women, it is unfortunate that a small number of allegations of inappropriate behavior have been made against me. I categorically deny these allegations.
“I am an ordinary man, and those who personally and professionally know the real David Sullivan, and not the caricature invented by the tabloids, know exactly who I am and what I stand for. And I am not at all the person the media has decided to portray me as.
“I was not provided with any adequate explanation as to how I independently verified these individuals or their claims or assessed their credibility prior to publication. I believe the whole process was fundamentally unfair and completely lacking in any due impartiality. I will be suing the BBC for defamation, along with any other media outlet that repeats any defamatory allegations.”
“None of these allegations have anything to do with over 30 years in football; West Ham United has been one of the greatest passions and privileges of my life. I care deeply about the club, its supporters, players, staff and its future. At what is already a challenging and important time for the club, I refuse to allow personal matters relating to me to become an unnecessary distraction or source of instability.”
He added: “Therefore, after very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign from my position as Joint Chairman and Director of West Ham United Football Club with immediate effect.”
“This has been an extremely painful decision, but one made out of love, respect and responsibility to a football club and fanbase that deserves absolute unity and focus on moving forward.
“I am stepping down to devote my full energy and attention to fighting these false allegations. I have formally engaged my legal team and are preparing to issue legal action in relation to every false complaint filed against me. I will seek full redress, both legally and publicly, on all fronts.”
