David Walliams faces sexual misconduct allegations after injunction fails

Several women have accused British comedian and children’s author David Walliams of sexual misconduct, including alleged grooming of teenage fans and an alleged sexual assault when one woman was 15. Walliams denies grooming anyone, committing a crime or abusing his fame.

The allegations appeared Tuesday in a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News, published after Walliams lost a High Court bid to prevent the outlets from identifying him. The investigation took three years, the BBC reported.

One woman, identified as Alex, said she met Walliams at a fan event in 2004 when she was 15. She said they stayed in contact and had consensual sex when she was 17. “I think I was groomed. 100%,” she told the investigators. Walliams denied grooming her and said he believed she was 18 when they had sex. He said he was “mortified to learn” that their brief relationship had caused her sadness.

Another woman, identified as Jade, said she met Walliams at 15 in 2007. She alleged that, later at his home, he kissed her, lifted her shirt and committed an act she now describes as sexual assault. Walliams strongly denied any sexual contact with her and rejected allegations of criminal activity.

Other women alleged unwanted advances, including a model who said Walliams tried to kiss her while showing her around his home. Walliams described that encounter as a “clumsy pass” and said he made no further approach. Women also alleged inappropriate behavior connected to the ITV talent show Britain’s Got Talent, where Walliams was a judge, and at HarperCollins, which published his books.

Lilly Creightmore, who waived her anonymity, told the BBC’s Newsnight that Walliams contacted her when she was 18 and later invited her to stay at his home. She said she felt pressured to share his bed and “felt I was being manipulated.” Walliams’s lawyers denied that he groomed her or acted inappropriately. Walliams said he regarded their friendship as special and was devastated by her account.

In a letter published by The Guardian, Walliams said he regretted behaving thoughtlessly in some casual sexual relationships. “Whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did,” he wrote. “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.”

Al Jazeera reported that Walliams’s lawyer told the injunction hearing he had made two attempts on his life after receiving requests for comment from the outlets and was admitted to hospital for psychiatric care. A summary of the court judgment said some alleged conduct could constitute criminal offenses if proven, according to Al Jazeera.

After publication, Walliams’s literary agent, Independent Talent Group, dropped him. The BBC removed Little Britain from iPlayer, while Sky said it was dropping an upcoming adaptation of his book Fing! and had removed content featuring him. The Metropolitan Police said it contacted The Guardian and ITV News to help ensure potential victims knew how to report criminal allegations.

Syco Entertainment, which created Britain’s Got Talent, said it had not known of the allegations. Production company Fremantle UK said no complaint had been made against Walliams and encouraged anyone alleging wrongdoing to come forward.