Former West Ham United co-chairman David Sullivan is taking legal action against the BBC, seeking damages exceeding £150 million in connection with allegations broadcast by the corporation earlier this year.
The case stems from a joint investigation published in June by the BBC and The Times, in which seven women came forward with accounts alleging that Sullivan had behaved in a sexually exploitative and predatory manner toward them. According to those accounts, the alleged conduct occurred during the 1980s and 1990s, a period when Sullivan was the owner of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport tabloid newspapers.
Sullivan has firmly rejected the allegations, stating that he "categorically denies" the claims made against him. Ahead of the publication of the Panorama report, the businessman stepped down from his role as joint chairman of West Ham, saying he wanted to focus on contesting what he described as "factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life."
His legal team at GSP Law confirmed this week that they have been instructed to pursue a claim in the High Court against the BBC, with damages sought in excess of £150 million over the broadcaster's decision to publish the women's allegations.
The legal action marks a significant escalation in the dispute, with Sullivan's representatives signaling their intent to challenge the BBC's reporting through formal litigation rather than public denial alone. The scale of the damages being sought—more than £150 million—places this among the most substantial defamation-related claims to be brought against the British broadcaster in recent memory.
The controversy has also drawn the attention of law enforcement and football's governing bodies. Essex Police confirmed that it had