A scandal has erupted following sexual harassment allegations against the couple who run PinkNews, the largest LGBTQ news website.

Former employees of the website have told the BBC that they witnessed Anthony James, the company’s director and husband of its founder, Benjamin Cohen, kissing and touching a younger colleague who, they claim, appeared too intoxicated to consent.

More than 30 current and former employees have made similar claims, alleging that there were similar incidents involving male staff members, with the couple of directors being the perpetrators.

Representatives for Cohen and James stated to the BBC that they do not wish to make any statements at this time, other than to assert that the allegations are false.

PinkNews is run by members of the Cohen family—its CEO, Anthony James, is the husband of the founder, Benjamin Cohen, and his father, Richard, serves as the chief legal officer. The website states that its mission is “to inform, inspire change, and empower people to be themselves.” PinkNews played a significant role in the campaign for marriage equality in the United Kingdom.

According to the allegations made to the BBC, many former employees report experiencing bullying and sexual harassment, with some feeling unsafe to be alone with Cohen and James. Other claims suggest that some young women were asked to act as surrogates for the couple.

The BBC reports on 33 testimonies from individuals who worked at PinkNews between 2017 and 2024, along with written complaints, emails, WhatsApp messages, and medical reports referring to anxiety and mental health issues attributed to the workplace environment at PinkNews.

Alleged Inability to Consent

Five former employees told the BBC they saw Anthony James groping and kissing a younger colleague, who they said was “too drunk to stand or speak” and “unable to consent.”

The alleged incident took place outside a pub in central London, where PinkNews staff had gathered after an event. One of the witnesses described how James led the younger colleague behind a tree: “Anthony just imposed himself on someone who wasn’t able to make that decision for themselves because they were too drunk.”

Witnesses to the incident told the BBC they were too afraid to make a report, with one stating: “I don’t know, but I can’t do this: He’s the husband of the CEO, what are you going to do? You’ll lose your job?”

Alcohol consumption was a common practice at social events or work trips, with staff recalling “Prosecco Friday,” where employees were given free wine and snacks to boost morale.

Testimony of Stefanos Kyriakou

Stefanos Kyriakou, who worked at PinkNews from 2019 to 2021, stated that his job at the website started as a “dream come true,” where he didn’t have to “hide who I was or pretend,” but the dream quickly “collapsed.”

During a Christmas party, Kyriakou told the BBC that Cohen slapped him on the backside in front of everyone. “I just froze 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?'”

After this incident, Kyriakou said he no longer felt comfortable being alone with his boss.

He also referred to group chat messages where Cohen was described as “creepy.”

“No one really felt like they could complain because we didn’t know what would happen to us. Ben is very well known, and we didn’t know if he would badmouth us to the world,” Kyriakou said.