PinkNews Leadership Faces Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Staff members have accused the couple leading PinkNews, recognized as the world’s largest LGBT news website, of numerous instances of sexual misconduct. Several former employees informed the BBC that they observed Anthony James, a director at the UK-based company and husband of its founder, kissing and touching a junior colleague who, they stated, appeared too intoxicated to give consent. Furthermore, over 30 current and former staff members reported that a prevalent culture of heavy drinking contributed to situations where founder Benjamin Cohen and his husband behaved inappropriately towards younger male employees. Representatives for Mr. Cohen and Dr. James communicated to the BBC that they were unable to issue a statement at this time, but their stance is that the accusations are unfounded. PinkNews, managed by Mr. Cohen’s family members—with his husband and former GP Dr. James serving as chief operating officer, and his father Richard as the chief lawyer—asserts its mission is “to inform, inspire change and empower people to be themselves.” The organization played a significant role in the campaign for marriage equality in the UK, and its annual awards ceremony has drawn attendance from prime ministers and other political figures. However, away from its public image, numerous former staff members have informed the BBC that they experienced bullying and sexual misconduct, leading some to feel unsafe when alone with Mr. Cohen and Dr. James. Claims of misogyny have also surfaced, with several individuals stating that young female staff members were asked to act as surrogates for the couple. In addition to conducting interviews with 33 individuals who worked at PinkNews between 2017 and 2024, the BBC also reviewed various forms of evidence. This included official written complaints, private emails, and WhatsApp messages detailing staff members’ concerns, alongside doctors’ records that referenced stress and mental health challenges attributed to the PinkNews work environment. Following the initial publication of this story, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson described the reports as “very concerning.” While declining to comment on the specific details of the case, he affirmed his belief that “everyone should be free” from inappropriate workplace behavior. He added, “People should always feel confident to come forward in these situations.” When questioned about Mr. Starmer’s potential attendance at the PinkNews Awards again, after his appearance in 2022, the spokesperson stated he could not comment on specifics at this stage. Five former staff members recounted to the BBC that they witnessed Dr. James groping and kissing a junior staff member, whom they described as “too drunk to stand or talk” and “unable to consent.” This alleged incident occurred outside a central London pub, where employees had gathered after a PinkNews event. A former PinkNews staff member, referred to as Gary, stated that Dr. James led the junior colleague behind a tree. Gary commented, “Anthony was just forcing himself on somebody who wasn’t able to make that decision for themselves because of how intoxicated they were.” Attendees at the event reported assisting the alleged victim in getting home via taxi. Nevertheless, several former staff members who claimed to have witnessed the incident told the BBC they were too intimidated to file a complaint. One individual remarked, “It’s the CEO’s husband, what are you going to do? Lose your job?” A complaint regarding the incident was subsequently made by a staff member and shared with several members of PinkNews’ senior leadership team. The BBC has been shown multiple copies of this complaint but has not been able to ascertain whether any action was taken as a result. Many former employees indicated that staff social gatherings or awaydays frequently involved drinking into the early hours, and that “Prosecco Friday”—an initiative offering free wine and crisps—was introduced in the office to boost staff morale. Another former staff member, identified as Damian, reported personally experiencing inappropriate behavior from Mr. Cohen during an evening at a pub after work. Damian stated, “Ben was extremely drunk to the point he fell off his chair, and then asked me out of earshot of my other colleagues whether I wanted to go back to his […] because Anthony his husband wasn’t there.” He continued, “He said something along the lines of ‘Anthony is always getting with other men’ and the suggestion was we would do something sexually. I was extremely uncomfortable.” Damian recounted that after that night, he avoided being alone with Mr. Cohen for the remainder of his tenure at PinkNews. He said, “I never heard about it again, no apology.” He added, “It put me on alert because it made me realise it was a boundary he thought he could cross.” Stephan Kyriacou, who was employed at PinkNews from 2019 to 2021, described the job as initially a “dream come true” where he felt no need to “hide who I was or pretend,” but this dream was soon “shattered.” During a Christmas party, Mr. Kyriacou stated that Mr. Cohen slapped him on the bottom in front of everyone. He recalled, “I just shut down for a minute. I didn’t know what to say. I was in shock. I remember turning to my friends and saying, ‘What the hell just happened?'” Mr. Kyriacou mentioned that he no longer felt sufficiently comfortable to be alone with his boss. He explained, “That just made me completely avoid him. I don’t remember ever speaking to him one-on-one after that.” Other staff members also expressed their concerns about Mr. Cohen, according to Mr. Kyriacou, with several messages in a group chat labeling him a “creep” and staff indicating discomfort around him. Mr. Kyriacou stated, “None of us really felt like we could complain because we didn’t know what was going to happen to us. Ben is very well-known and we didn’t know whether he was going to badmouth us to people.” Staff members have reported being shouted at and belittled by Mr. Cohen, and described a “toxic” culture within the company. Damian commented, “He can be quite brutal in the way he speaks to you.” He elaborated, “When things go wrong he’d come down on you like a tonne of bricks and so you were just in this constant state of emotional flux.” Damian added that Mr. Cohen placed extreme pressures on him, causing him to cry at home and creating issues in his personal relationship, followed by “love-bombing” that made him believe everything was fine. Cai Wilshaw, former head of external affairs at PinkNews, observed, “You had this sort of dark cloud in the office sometimes when Ben was there, that made it really difficult to actually enjoy working there.” He continued, “We worked together quite well, but it is clear that he is a very, very difficult character, and sometimes overly so in a way that really impacted people who worked with him.” Some staff members also reported witnessing what they termed “misogynistic” behavior. Several individuals stated that on various occasions, young, female staff members were asked to act as surrogates for Mr. Cohen and Dr. James. They indicated