Throughout his career, David Sullivan has publicly spoken about his prolific sex life, at times boasting that he had slept with nearly 1,000 women in a single year and acknowledging that he had hired sex workers. Behind that persona, allegations and accounts have long suggested more troubling behavior, especially in the glamour modelling world. In the 1990s, Sullivan was reportedly given the nickname “No job/blow job,” reflecting claims that he asked models to perform oral sex in exchange for opportunities to appear in his publications. He was also quoted by The Guardian as saying, “I’ve always said what’s the point in owning a sweet shop if you can’t eat a few sweets.”
Supporters and former associates have defended Sullivan, arguing that his sexual activity and openness about it were widely known. Nick Cracknell, a friend and former business partner, said it was an accepted fact that Sullivan slept with many women and was frank about it. However, accounts gathered in an investigation suggest that some people working in the glamour modelling industry viewed him very differently. One modelling agent said he warned young models about Sullivan, while another said his company stopped sending models to him because of his reputation for “casting couch” behavior.
A third agent described a more troubling pattern, according to a woman identified as Rebecca. She said the agent approached her on the street and promised her a lucrative glamour modelling career in London, with earnings of £1,000 a week. But after Rebecca arrived in the city, she said the agent told her she would need to do sex work. Rebecca also said the agent explained that, to become a model and appear in the Sport newspapers, she would need to have sex with Sullivan, who the agent described as a very good friend.
Rebecca recalled being instructed to “just go in there and just do what he says.” She said that when she met Sullivan in 1998, he told her not to worry and promised he would not hurt her. Rebecca alleges that he then had anal sex with her. Afterward, she said, Sullivan told her he would help arrange for her to appear in the paper and reassured her not to worry about that. Her account adds to the broader allegations surrounding the exploitation of young women in the glamour modelling industry and the extent to which sexual access may have been tied to career opportunities.
