Karren Brady, former vice chairman of West Ham United, was aware for three years prior to her departure from the club that co-owner David Sullivan had been banned from contact with the club’s women’s and youth teams following safeguarding concerns raised by the Football Association (FA) in 2023. Despite her knowledge of the ban, Brady continued to work at West Ham until April of this year.

The restrictions on Sullivan’s involvement stemmed from a complaint made to the FA regarding his behaviour dating back to the 1980s. The club was informed of the complaint and subsequently acted to impose limits on Sullivan’s access, particularly concerning the women’s and youth squads. Sullivan, a former publisher known for Sport Newspapers, which combined soft-core pornography with sensational stories, has faced multiple allegations of sexually exploitative and predatory conduct over several decades.

An investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times detailed accusations from seven women who claimed that Sullivan abused his position of power by targeting models in their late teens and early twenties seeking work at the publishing group. Sullivan has consistently denied these allegations.

Brady, who is also known for her role as a business advisor on the BBC television show The Apprentice, defended her decision to remain at West Ham while these issues were ongoing. Through her legal representatives, she acknowledged awareness of the FA's concerns raised in July 2023 and that the club cooperated with the FA and local authorities to enforce the restrictions placed on Sullivan. However, Brady stated she was not involved in the decision-making process that led to the ban.

She emphasized that Sullivan denied the allegations and that she continued to work with him based on the principle of presumption of innocence. Brady also asserted that she had no knowledge of the specific allegations reported by the media and said she was neither involved in nor a witness to any of the incidents described.

The club and Sullivan have maintained their stance denying any wrongdoing, while the FA’s safeguards remain in place concerning Sullivan’s interactions with the women’s and youth teams at West Ham.