West Ham owner accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour

The billionaire David Sullivan has been accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour by several women dating back to the 1980s. In a joint investigation with the BBC, The Times has spoken to seven women about their experiences.

In his statement on 4 June, Sullivan announced his immediate resignation as joint-chair and director of West Ham, saying the “false allegations” had been “sensationalised” and none related to his time in football. He added: “After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me. I categorically deny these claims.” Before publication, Sullivan said that he reserved his legal rights in relation to “false or defamatory allegations” and would not be commenting further at this stage.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

Charlotte Wace, investigations correspondent, The Times.
Shanti Das, senior investigations reporter, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Micaela Arneson.

Additional thanks to:

James Beal, investigations editor, The Times.
Charlotte Alt, news reporter, The Times.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(1920)

Can Burnham sweet-talk Trump at their first meeting?

Andy Burnham will meet Donald Trump in person for the first time today at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Top of the agenda are the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, North Sea drilling, ...

22 Syys 23min

How history is straining Poland’s ties with Ukraine

Anti-Ukrainian sentiment is on the rise in Poland.The rift stems, in part, from a historical dispute over a wartime massacre of Poles 83 years ago, which has bubbled to the surface in recent months. S...

21 Syys 29min

Why is Ironman so popular? - The Sunday Story

Ironman ultra-triathlons demand competitors swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and then run a full marathon, paying upwards of $1000 for the pleasure. It’s not everyone’s idea of a perfect Sunday, but f...

20 Syys 14min

Inside the Macklemore - Ed Sheeran tour fallout - The Saturday Story

All of Ed Sheeran’s support acts have pulled out of his tour after his opening act Macklemore was dropped for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage. So why has this become such a cause célèbre? What...

19 Syys 31min

Has space become the final frontier for war?

The space race is on, but not as we’ve known it. Instead of a man on the moon, nations are jostling for who can plant weapons on the moon. In a major development this week, the US has announced that i...

18 Syys 23min

Has Trump paved the way to a united Ireland?

President Trump sparked controversy during his recent trip to Ireland when he said a unified Ireland would be “a fantastic thing.” That was followed on Monday by Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh lea...

17 Syys 28min

Bonus: Bill Gates on AI risk, regulation and the "vacuum of US leadership"

The Microsoft co-founder tells Danny and Katie why AI is "ultra-different" from any previous technology - and why tech companies shouldn’t be responsible for controlling it. Speaking about a new repor...

16 Syys 28min

How Lucy Letby’s hospital failed her victims

The Thirlwall Inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has released a damning report. It found the hospital could have prevented at least three of the ...

16 Syys 23min