Published June 9, 2026
Allegations that David Sullivan, the billionaire co-owner of West Ham Football Club, preyed on women for sexual purposes are “very concerning”, the UK government has said.
The 77-year-old recently stepped down as co-chairman of London Football Club to fight “false allegations” about his private life.
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But Mr Sullivan, who built a business empire from owning pornographic magazines, remains West Ham’s largest shareholder.
On Monday, British media reported testimonies from seven women accusing Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behavior.
The allegations date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when Mr Sullivan owned British tabloids Daily Sport and Sunday Sport. The women allege Sullivan pressured young models and aspiring models in their late teens and early 20s.
A spokesperson for the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement on Tuesday: “These extremely worrying allegations must be treated with the utmost seriousness and the victims must be given the support they need and an investigation carried out by the relevant authorities.”
Sullivan spoke Saturday before the allegations were made public and said he “categorically denies” all allegations.
Neither he nor his lawyers have commented publicly since Monday’s report was released.
The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating reports of “alleged indecent photography and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980s”.
The force said the investigation related to one alleged victim and was being led by specialist detectives.
The Metropolitan District said it “takes all allegations of crimes against women and girls extremely seriously, regardless of their age.”
“As with all incidents, any information or evidence provided to police will be assessed and an appropriate investigation conducted.”
“sensational”
“The false allegations leveled against me have been sensationalized by the media,” Sullivan said over the weekend.
He said: “I have spent my life building a business in the adult industry and have met thousands of women there, but it is sadly inevitable that a small number of allegations of inappropriate conduct will be made against me.
“I categorically deny these allegations.”
He said it was “incredibly painful” to step down as West Ham chairman and manager, but added that the decision was made “out of love, respect and responsibility” for the club and its supporters.
Meanwhile, the BBC confirmed in a statement to AFP that it was investigating allegations that former Daily Sport and Sunday Sports editor Tony Livesey helped facilitate a meeting between Mr Sullivan and one of his accusers.
“Panorama’s investigation includes allegations regarding Tony Livesey, which we take seriously. We also note that Tony categorically denies the allegations,” the statement said.
The newspaper added that Mr Livesey, who currently hosts the BBC’s news and sports channel Radio 5 Live, had “requested that he step back from hosting radio programs for a short period of time”.
After selling Birmingham City, Sullivan and business partner David Gold completed the takeover of West Ham, bringing in Cullen Brady as vice-chairman.
Their tenure oversaw the unpopular move from Upton Park to the former Olympic Stadium in 2016, and the trio had been the focus of numerous anti-board protests among West Ham supporters even before the club’s relegation from the Premier League last month.
Mr. Gold died in 2023 at the age of 86, and Mr. Brady retired from his role in April.
England’s Independent Football Regulator (IFR) said on Monday it was in contact with West Ham regarding “very serious allegations”.
The spokesperson added: “We intend to use our statutory powers to seek urgent information regarding the suitability of Mr. David Sullivan within our ownership, director and senior management structure.”
Czech businessman Daniel Kreczynski is reported to be planning to increase his holdings in West Ham by purchasing a 27% stake in 2021.
