Aston Villa owner targeted in alleged £900m sex blackmail plot

The billionaire owner of Aston Villa was the victim of an alleged £900million sexual extortion plot. 

Wesley Edens, 64, was told by lover Changli Luo to pay her half of his £1.8billion fortune — or she would go public about their fling, prosecutors say. 

The US businessman, who co-founded investment firm Fortress, was allegedly warned by Luo, 46, that she would destroy him. 

Divorcee Luo, who is Chinese, is said to have told him she had multiple cameras in her apartment where they had sex and if he did not pay she would tell his business partners and family. 

They met in 2022 after she messaged recently divorced Mr Edens on LinkedIn.

US prosecutors say the demands began when he ignored her love letter after a sexual encounter at her New York home in June 2023.  

During mediation talks, Mr Edens agreed to pay Luo £4.7million.

She then claimed to have HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cancer, and blamed him. 

She then raised her demand to £900million, it is claimed.

In a search of Luo’s home, FBI agents found a phone containing adult films with Mr Edens’ face grafted on to the body of another man, prosecutors said. 

During mediation talks, Mr Edens agreed to pay Luo £4.7million.

She then claimed to have HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cancer, and blamed him. 

She then raised her demand to £900million, it is claimed.

In a search of Luo’s home, FBI agents found a phone containing adult films with Mr Edens’ face grafted on to the body of another man, prosecutors said. 

Luo faces four charges including blackmail and destruction of records, which she denies.

Her lawyers say her previous team were overly aggressive with financial demands. 

A spokesman for Mr Edens, who took over at Villa in 2019, said he expected to testify.