David Walliams accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls

Detailed summary

British comedian and author David Walliams has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in a report by The Guardian and ITV News, grooming some fans when they were as…

British comedian and author David Walliams has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in a report by The Guardian and ITV News, grooming some fans when they were as young as 15.

The report featured accounts from over 30 people who accused Walliams of abusing his celebrity and star power to prey on women. Many women said they were over 18 when they had their alleged encounters with Walliams, but some accused him of first contacting them when they were teenagers (Rolling Stone).

In September, HarperCollins announced it would no longer publish Walliams’ extensive back catalogue, having dropped the bestselling author last year. The publisher cut ties with Walliams after concerns were raised about his behaviour with junior female employees (The Guardian).

“I am not a sexual predator,” Walliams wrote to journalists who worked on the investigation. “I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me” (The Guardian).

Walliams fought to prevent the story’s publication by filing for a permanent injunction in UK court, his lawyers saying the comedian had attempted suicide over the summer after reporters first contacted him (Rolling Stone).

The BBC has said it will remove from its streaming platform shows Walliams starred in, including Little Britain and Britain’s Got Talent (Variety).

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Saturday Paper. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.