David Walliams Faces Grooming and Assault Allegations in Joint Media Investigation
The British comedian and author is accused by multiple women of grooming teenage fans and sexually assaulting one, prompting a review by the BBC and a High Court ruling.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
David Walliams, the 55-year-old British comedian and children's author, is facing serious allegations of grooming teenage fans and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at his residence. The claims were brought to light through a joint investigation published on Tuesday by The Guardian newspaper and ITV News. Multiple women provided firsthand accounts of what they described as misconduct by the well-known figure.
In a letter addressed to journalists and published by The Guardian, Walliams stated that he behaved thoughtlessly in past interactions. He clarified that he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law, yet he expressed devastation that women he met between 10 and 20 years ago have expressed hurt or anger towards him. His legal representatives denied that he targeted teenagers or used his fame to manipulate them into sexual relationships.
Walliams rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a star of the BBC sketch show Little Britain. He has since authored more than 40 books, including titles such as Mr. Stink, Gangsta Granny, and The Boy in the Dress. His literary work has been translated into over 50 languages and has reportedly sold 50 million copies. He also served as a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent for several years before stepping down in 2022 after apologizing for making disrespectful comments about auditioning contestants.
Following the new investigation, the BBC announced it would remove certain programmes and conduct a comprehensive review of all material featuring or written by Walliams on its platforms. This follows a similar move last year when his publisher, HarperCollins, dropped him after he faced accusations of harassing young female colleagues, which he had previously denied.
Legal proceedings have also shaped the current narrative. Walliams sought a court injunction to prevent the media outlets from identifying him in their reporting, but a UK High Court judge blocked this request last week. His lawyer, Sara Mansoori, informed the court that Walliams attempted to take his own life after receiving letters from the publications seeking his response. She further noted that he made a second attempt and was admitted to a hospital for psychiatric care last month.
A summary of the court judgment indicated that some of the alleged conduct could amount to criminal offences if proven in a court of law. The allegations involve several women, most of whom were identified only by their first names in the reporting.
One accuser, identified as Jade, stated that Walliams contacted her in 2007 when she was 15 and he was 36. She found him through a social media page that listed her age and said he invited her to his house. She accused him of sexual assault and grooming. Walliams's lawyers have denied that sexual contact occurred with Jade.
Another woman, named Alex, told The Guardian that she first met Walliams when she was a 15-year-old aspiring comedy writer and he was 32. She alleged that their first sexual encounter took place at his home when she was 17 and he was 34. She described the dynamic as grooming, noting that he had promised to help her career.
Under UK law, it is illegal for someone over 18 to intentionally communicate with a child under 16 for sexual purposes. In response to the specific allegations from Alex, Walliams's lawyers told The Guardian that he believed she was 18 at the time of their interactions.
