David Walliams accused of preying on young women; comedian denies wrongdoing
An investigation by the Guardian and ITV News alleges David Walliams groomed and pursued young fans and staff. Walliams denies wrongdoing and says he has broken no law.
Comedian and former Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams is facing allegations from several women that he used his fame to pursue them sexually when they were teenagers or young women. An investigation by the Guardian and ITV News reports that some of the women say they were 15 when they first had contact with him. Walliams, 55, denies the allegations and says he has not broken the law.
Accounts from two women
One woman, named Alex in the report, says she met Walliams at a fan event in 2004, when she was 15 and he was a rising star of the sketch show Little Britain. She gave him scripts she had written, and he phoned her shortly afterwards. She says the two stayed in touch by phone and email over the next two years, and that they were having sex by the time she was 17.
A second woman, named Jade, says she first met Walliams in the summer of 2007, when she was 15. She alleges that after he contacted her on MySpace, they met at a cafe, and that he later kissed her and invited her back to his home. She says she did not want to be touched in that way. Lawyers for Walliams deny that he groomed Alex and deny any sexual contact with Jade.
Most of the women cited in the investigation say they were over 18 at the time of their interactions with Walliams. Several asked for pseudonyms to protect their anonymity.
Allegations in the workplace
The allegations also extend to his conduct at work. Several sources described inappropriate behaviour towards women at Britain's Got Talent and at his publisher, HarperCollins. The Guardian and ITV News report that HarperCollins ended ties with him after concerns were raised about his behaviour over several years, including an allegation of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior female employee. HarperCollins said in September that it would no longer publish his back catalogue, but gave few reasons for the decision.
Walliams has said in a letter to the journalists that he behaved thoughtlessly at times and had casual sexual relationships that he regrets. He wrote that abusing a power imbalance is "something else entirely" and that he never did it. He added: "I am not a sexual predator."
Court bid to stop publication
Earlier this year, Walliams's lawyers sought an injunction at the High Court to stop the allegations being published. On 3 November, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the claim and refused the injunction, meaning the reports could name him. Before the ruling, his lawyers told the court he was not well enough to decide whether to appeal. Walliams's legal team also said he had attempted suicide twice and that naming him would put his life at risk. The court heard that the publishers' lawyers argued the responsibility for his safety lay with the hospital, not the media.
What we know so far
The allegations are made by the women named in the investigation and have not been tested in court. Walliams denies wrongdoing, and his lawyers deny the claims about Alex and Jade. The Guardian and ITV News say more women have come forward, and the investigation is ongoing as the story develops.
Other outlets reporting the story have said the allegations span his years on BBC sketch shows through to his time on Britain's Got Talent. Those details remain allegations.
