Amir Khan accused in court documents of secretly recording woman

LONDON: Court documents filed in the London High Court in a defamation case involving former world champion boxer Amir Khan and his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, set out a series of allegations by multiple women, all of which the couple deny.

The papers were submitted as part of the defence by women’s rights activist Faryaal Hussain, who is being sued by Khan and Makhdoom over social media posts, a podcast interview in 2023 and an online petition in which she raised concerns about the boxer’s alleged exploitation of women. According to the court filings, Hussain denies defaming the couple and argues that her statements were true and in the public interest.

Khan and Makhdoom, who married in 2013, have three children and live in Dubai, have described the allegations in the defence as false, defamatory and malicious and say they will contest them in the High Court. In their claim, they say Hussain’s statements caused financial loss and reputational damage and led to the BBC cancelling the fourth series of Meet The Khans. They are seeking an injunction to stop her from publishing further allegations.

Allegations in the defence

The defence says one woman, identified as Woman B, was allegedly contacted by Khan on Snapchat around June 2022, with further messages continuing on WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok. The court papers claim Khan told her he was unhappy in his marriage and sent images of his intimate body parts. The documents further allege she travelled to Dubai, where they had consensual sex on at least two occasions.

The same papers allege that on one occasion Khan recorded a sexual encounter on a mobile phone without Woman B’s knowledge or consent. According to the filed documents, when she realised she was being filmed, she repeatedly said no and tried to cover her face. The defence also alleges Khan later sent her a picture and video of a naked woman, understood to be engaged in sex with him, and when told that this was unfair to the woman, responded in words to the effect that nobody cares. Khan’s lawyers deny these claims and say they are false.

The court papers further allege that after the relationship ended, Khan tried to blackmail Woman B into silence by threatening to release a compromising video of their sexual relations. The documents also say he passed a message through a third party threatening harm if she continued to expose him. The papers add that Woman B’s car was set on fire and that she believed this was linked to her interactions with Khan and Makhdoom.

The defence alleges that after learning of the alleged affair, Makhdoom contacted Woman B and used coercion, blackmail and threats to silence her. Hussain has submitted an audio recording as part of her defence which she says captures Makhdoom making threats and abusive remarks. Makhdoom’s lawyers deny the claims.

In another recording cited in the defence, Makhdoom allegedly told Woman B’s mother: "Your daughter is a prostitute when I disclose her information.. you shouldn’t give birth to prostitutes.. God willing you will face God’s wrath."

The documents also allege Makhdoom contacted Woman B’s sister and mother after contacting Woman B herself.

Other women named in the filings

Another woman, identified as Woman A and described in the court papers as a beautician and social media influencer, is alleged to have been contacted by Khan on Instagram in May 2023. The pair later communicated on WhatsApp, where he allegedly offered her financial assistance of £20,000 and asked her to meet him in Dubai, according to the defence.

The same filing says Woman A refused to send nude pictures and claims Khan then told her he knew people in her home town, which she took as a threat. The report states that when the matter became public, Khan apologised to his wife in statements to newspapers and said he was willing to have therapy to stop texting other women. The Khans’ solicitors deny Woman A’s account and say the allegations will be addressed in their formal reply.

The article also says the Mail on Sunday, citing the court papers, referred to an interview Khan gave Geo News on July 3, 2023, in which he said he was being blackmailed by Woman A.

The defence goes on to allege that Khan sent intimate texts and photographs to another English woman in April 2022, and that this ended when her boyfriend discovered the messages and contacted Khan, threatening to approach newspapers. The same day, according to the court papers, the boyfriend received a call from an unidentified man with a Scottish accent who threatened to put money on his head.

The documents further allege that Makhdoom threatened that woman by referring to intimate images of her and saying her prior conviction would be published if she did not stay silent. Her lawyers deny wrongdoing. The court papers also claim Makhdoom threatened to name and shame another woman, identified as Woman C, after learning of her alleged affair with Khan in 2023. Her lawyers deny that allegation as well.

A fifth woman is said in the defence to have received messages from Khan on Instagram in August 2016. The same day, according to the filing, Makhdoom allegedly contacted her on the platform and said: "If you dare message or call [Mr Khan] I will destroy you."

Hussain’s role and court case

According to her court papers, Hussain said she became involved after being contacted by Woman A and Woman B in July 2023, which led her to post on social media about their allegations. She said three other women later approached her before she published her petition, which she said was motivated by a genuine concern for public safety.

The petition, which has been submitted to the High Court as evidence, remains online and has more than 1,600 signatures. The defence also says Hussain herself was harassed and threatened by people she believes were associated with the Khans.

Two of the women became depressed after their alleged interactions with Khan, with one posting a video online saying she had been left suicidal after alleged threats from him. The Mail on Sunday had spoken to Woman A, who said she had been praying for the case to reach court, adding:

"I have been waiting for my truth to be heard."