Highlights
- Women allege Walliams contacted them as teenagers, including one who says he sexually assaulted her when she was 15
- Walliams says he “behaved thoughtlessly” in casual relationships but denies being a sexual predator
- The BBC has removed all episodes of Little Britain, and his agents have dropped him
- He lost a High Court battle to stop the media identifying him and did not appeal
COMEDIAN and best-selling children’s author David Walliams has been accused of grooming teenage fans and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, following a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV.
The allegations, published on Tuesday (10), also include claims that he harassed young female colleagues. They come from multiple women and date as far back as 2003.
Walliams, 55, denies targeting teenagers or using his fame to manipulate them into sex, his lawyers told the media.
In a letter published by the Guardian, he said he had “behaved thoughtlessly” in casual relationships, adding: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.”
His lawyers did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.
‘It’s completely wrong in every way’
In the most serious allegation, a woman identified as Jade said Walliams contacted her in 2007 through her social media page, which showed her age as 15. He was 36 at the time.
She said he invited her to his house, where he sexually assaulted her. Her account was read by an actor in a documentary released by ITV.
“It’s a sexual assault, it’s a grooming, it’s completely wrong in every way,” she said.
Walliams’ lawyers said he never engaged in grooming young women and denied any sexual contact with Jade.
In Britain, it is illegal for anyone over 18 to intentionally communicate with a child under 16 for a sexual purpose.
‘He used that power’
A second woman, named as Alex, told the Guardian she first met Walliams when she was a 15-year-old aspiring comedy writer, and he was 32.
She said he phoned her and gave her tickets to shows. They first had sex at his home when she was 17, and he was 34, she said.
She described the relationship as consensual but said Walliams was “pushy” and treated her badly.
“I think I was groomed, 100 percent. We met when I was 15 and he was promising to help me … He used that power,” she said.
Walliams’ lawyers told The Guardian he believed she was 18 at the time and that she had got back in contact with him.
The investigation also claims Walliams messaged teenage models and invited teenage fans to his dressing room and his home.
Almost all the women were identified only by their first names, some of which were changed at their request.
Organisations cut ties
A BBC spokesperson said the corporation had removed some shows featuring Walliams from its platforms, including all episodes of Little BritainLittle Britain, the sketch show that ran from 2003 to 2006.
His literary agency, Independent Talent Group, said: “We are no longer representing him in any capacity.”
The ruling Labour Party is understood to have suspended him as a member.
His publisher, HarperCollins, dropped him last year after he faced accusations of harassing female staff, which he denied. He has not posted on social media since.
Court fight over anonymity
Walliams went to the High Court to stop the media from identifying him. He lost and did not appeal. During the case, his legal team argued that publication posed a serious risk to his life. The court heard he had been in hospital care this year because of his mental health.
Walliams found fame on Little Britain and later became a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.
His children’s books, including Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress, have been translated into more than 50 languages and have reportedly sold 50 million copies.
(with inputs from agencies)
