The two men who run the world’s largest LGBTQ news website are facing accusations of inappropriate behaviour by staffers.
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Benjamin Cohen, the founder of PinkNews, and his husband, Anthony James, a director at the U.K.-based outlet, were accused of sexual misconduct, bullying and misogyny by current and former employees.
Ex-staff members told the BBC they saw James kissing and touching a junior colleague, who allegedly appeared too drunk to consent.
Cohen allegedly invited one staff member to come “back to his” and smacked another on the bottom at a Christmas party.
The BBC said it interviewed 33 people who worked at the company between 2017 and 2024 for its documentary, PinkNews: Behind Closed Doors, many of whom claimed there was a heavy drinking culture that led to incidents where both Cohen and James acted inappropriately with younger male staffers.
“When the CEO of the company is supposedly the biggest liability at the Christmas party, it’s not a great look,” one accuser said in the doc.
Another former employee recalled one incident where “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.”
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Five former PinkNews employees said that they witnessed James groping and kissing a junior staff member outside a London pub where employees were enjoying a night out after a PinkNews event.
They noted that the employee was “too drunk to stand or talk” and “unable to consent.”
One ex-staffer, who claimed James led the young man behind a tree, said: “Anthony was just forcing himself on somebody who wasn’t able to make that decision for themselves because of how intoxicated they were.”
Some staffers told the BBC they were too scared to lodge a complaint, with one saying, “It’s the CEO’s husband, what are you going to do? Lose your job?”
A complaint was filed with senior bosses at the company, according to the outlet, but it is not clear whether any action was taken.
Staff also called out the workplace’s “toxic” culture, claiming Cohen would often shout at and belittle employees.
Others mentioned the misogyny that existed at PinkNews, with several women claiming they were encouraged to act as surrogates for the couple.
The outlet claimed that they have seen a range of evidence, including official complaints, private emails and WhatsApp messages sharing concerns and doctors’ notes referring to stress and mental health problems attributed to working at the company.
Cohen and James did not comment on the BBC’s investigation, but maintained the allegations were false.