The BBC has issued an apology and retracted a news article and accompanying documentary that contained false and defamatory allegations against Benjamin Cohen, founder of the PinkNews website, and his husband, Anthony James. The broadcaster admitted that the claims made in the report were untrue and agreed to pay legal costs and compensation to the couple.
The original reports accused Cohen, a former Channel 4 News journalist, and James of tolerating and enabling sexual misconduct towards junior staff, as well as pressuring young female employees to act as surrogate mothers. The allegations first surfaced when the couple’s son was just six months old.
In a statement, Cohen and James described the impact of the false claims on their personal lives, saying the period that should have been among the happiest was disrupted by the accusations. They condemned the portrayal as reinforcing harmful and homophobic stereotypes that depict gay men as sexual predators. The couple said the allegations spread quickly worldwide, but it took nearly two years before the BBC formally acknowledged the errors.
The BBC's article had been based on interviews with more than 30 current and former PinkNews employees, alongside evidence such as written complaints, private emails, and WhatsApp messages. Despite this, the broadcaster ultimately accepted the couple’s legal arguments and formally retracted the allegations. Jane Phillips, counsel for the BBC, told the High Court that the corporation "accepted everything" presented by Cohen and James’s lawyers, and issued an unreserved apology.
As part of the settlement, Cohen and James have pledged to donate the compensation they received to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity. Anthony James had been a board member of the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust but resigned following the emergence of the allegations.
The case highlights the challenges media organisations face when reporting on sensitive workplace misconduct claims, especially those involving senior figures in the LGBTQ+ community, and underscores the significant reputational damage that can result from inaccurate reporting.