David Sullivan seeks £150m from BBC over documentary allegations

David Sullivan, West Ham United's leading shareholder and pornography entrepreneur, is suing the BBC for £150million following a Panorama documentary that accused him of sexually abusing and preying on young women. The documentary, titled "Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss," broadcast on June 8 and featured testimonies from seven women, six anonymous and one named, describing alleged sexual harassment and exploitation. Sullivan announced his intention to step down as West Ham chairman two days before the programme aired whilst simultaneously vowing to take legal action against the corporation.

The documentary included accounts from former models in their late teens and early twenties who alleged Sullivan used "casting couch"-style tactics at his newspapers, the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport, pressuring them for sexual favours in exchange for career advancement. Sacha Wall, the sole woman to be named, alleged that at age 24 she was invited to Sullivan's Essex mansion for a business meeting where he reportedly pressured her to undress and engage sexually with him, which she refused. The BBC also reported that Sullivan admitted to paying for sex in the 1990s with a girl he understood to be 16 or 17 whilst he was in his 40s, conduct that only became illegal in 2003, though Sullivan has denied all allegations of predatory behaviour. The 77-year-old remains West Ham's largest shareholder and continues attending matches despite the accusations.