More than 30 employees accuse the CEO and his husband of inappropriate behaviour, prompting calls for resignation.
Fresh details have emerged regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour at PinkNews, with a former employee sharing their experiences. Benjamin Cohen, the founder and CEO of the popular LGBTQ+ news platform, along with his husband, Anthony James, face accusations from over 30 current and former staff members about their conduct in the workplace. These new revelations follow previous reports from the BBC, which exposed claims of inappropriate actions, including an incident where Dr James allegedly kissed and touched a junior colleague who appeared too intoxicated to consent.
Stephan Kyriacou, a former employee who worked at PinkNews between 2019 and 2021, has described his initial excitement about working at the company, especially as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. However, Kyriacou soon became disillusioned with Cohen’s behaviour, recalling an incident where Cohen slapped him on the backside during a Christmas party. Kyriacou expressed his anger over the incident, which he described as inappropriate given Cohen’s position as his boss. “I’m angry more than anything else that he has been getting away with this for so long,” Kyriacou said, adding that he later realised how unsettling the encounter was.
The allegations against Cohen did not stop at this incident. Kyriacou also revealed that Cohen made highly inappropriate comments about his gender-affirming surgery during a Zoom call. He claimed that Cohen had asked detailed and intrusive questions about his private medical matters, which Kyriacou described as unprofessional and troubling.
In a documentary on the subject, Kyriacou also mentioned that some male employees felt uncomfortable around Cohen, referring to him as a “creep.” He further added that Cohen’s behaviour towards a younger employee was blatantly infatuated, creating an unhealthy work dynamic. Kyriacou concluded that Cohen’s position at the company had become untenable and pointed out that the focus seemed to be more on profit and clickbait headlines than on the wellbeing of employees.
Staff members at PinkNews have expressed their frustration over the lack of communication from management regarding the allegations. One current employee described the office atmosphere as “miserable,” with many staff members wanting answers. Despite the growing discontent, the management has remained silent, except for a brief message from Anthony James. Cohen and James have yet to publicly address the allegations, though it is understood that they maintain the accusations are false.
In addition to the allegations within PinkNews, Dr James has faced professional consequences. He was suspended from his role as an associate non-executive director at the NHS’s Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust pending further investigation into the claims against him.
A former staff reporter from PinkNews who worked at the company during its early years described the work environment as “toxic” and “deeply unprofessional.” This former employee recalled a culture where shouting was common, and staff were left in the dark about Cohen’s treatment of them, with little support from the human resources department. They expressed disbelief that no formal response has been issued regarding the sexual misconduct allegations, and they lauded the courage of those who have come forward.
An anonymous blog post written by a former staff member also criticised Cohen for his dismissive attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community, accusing him of demeaning the site by referring to it as the “Gayly Mail” and for belittling staff suggestions for Cohen to resign or face disciplinary action.
PinkNews has been contacted for comment but has yet to respond. The BBC reported that both Cohen and James have declined to issue a statement, but their position is understood to be one of denial regarding the allegations.
