West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan is suing the BBC for £150 million, alleging libel and malicious falsehood over a Panorama documentary that detailed multiple sexual misconduct claims. The documentary, broadcast in June, featured women alleging Sullivan abused his power to prey on them for sex. Sullivan denies the claims, calling them false and sensationalized.
The lawsuit represents a significant legal challenge for the BBC, which is already involved in another high-profile case brought by Donald Trump. The outcome could impact the broadcaster's reputation and financial standing, while also raising questions about the reporting of sexual misconduct allegations against prominent figures.
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has filed a £150 million lawsuit against the BBC, alleging libel and malicious falsehood over a Panorama documentary that detailed multiple claims of sexual misconduct. The lawsuit, lodged at the high court, targets the BBC's investigation titled “Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss,” which aired in June.
The documentary featured three women who accused Sullivan of abusing his power as owner of the Sport newspapers to prey on them for sex when they were seeking work. An additional four women alleged exploitative and predatory behavior, including attempts to pressure them into sex during business meetings. The BBC and The Times reported that their joint investigation spoke with dozens of former models and industry insiders, some of whom described Sullivan as having "casting couch" tendencies.
Sullivan, 77, has vehemently denied the accusations, stating they are "factually incorrect and entirely false" and have been "sensationalised by the media." He vowed to take legal action even before the programme aired. In a statement, he said that after a lifetime in the adult industry, it was "inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me," but he "categorically den[ied] these claims."
The lawsuit claims the documentary caused Sullivan "grave, catastrophic, and irreparable harm" to his reputation and business interests, exposing him to "profound public hatred, universal ridicule, and global opprobrium," as well as "immediate and severe commercial alienation, banking disruption, and quantifiable financial destruction."
While Sullivan has resigned as West Ham's co-chair, he remains the Championship club's largest shareholder with a 39% stake. It has also emerged that Sullivan has faced restrictions on his contact with West Ham's women's and youth teams since 2023 due to a safeguarding investigation. The Football Association began an inquiry three years ago following a complaint, which The Guardian understands involves an allegation of sexual misconduct unrelated to football. Sullivan stated through lawyers that these restrictions were part of a "negotiated and temporary agreement" and related to a "single anonymous complaint" from 1981, which he claims "never happened."
Panorama presenter Tony Livesey has stepped back from the broadcaster amid questions raised by the investigation. Earlier in his career, Livesey was editor-in-chief of Sullivan's Sport newspapers. One alleged victim in the documentary claimed Livesey had arranged a meeting between her and Sullivan. Livesey has stated he has "no recollection" of introducing the woman to Sullivan and that it was "not part" of his job to do so, adding he had "practically zero" contact with female models appearing in the paper.
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