British comedian and children's author David Walliams, aged 55, faces allegations of grooming teenage fans and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at his house, as reported by The Guardian and ITV News in a joint investigation published on Tuesday. Multiple women have provided firsthand accounts of Walliams' alleged misconduct, with one woman named "Jade" claiming that he contacted her through social media when she was 15 and invited her to his house in 2007, leading to allegations of sexual assault and grooming. Walliams' lawyers deny any sexual contact with Jade. Another woman, identified as "Alex," claims that she met Walliams when she was a 15-year-old aspiring comedy writer, and they engaged in sexual conduct for the first time at his home when she was 17 and he was 34, allegedly amounting to grooming. It is illegal under UK law for someone older than 18 to intentionally communicate with a child younger than 16 for a sexual purpose. Walliams' lawyers claim that they believed Alex was 18 at the time of their alleged encounters. In response to the allegations, the BBC has removed some programs featuring Walliams and plans to review all material related to him on its platforms. Last year, his publisher, HarperCollins, dropped him following accusations of harassing young female colleagues.
David Walliams, the 55-year-old British comedian and children's author, has denied targeting teenagers and using his fame to manipulate them for sexual purposes. In a letter addressed to journalists, Walliams wrote that he "behaved thoughtlessly" but is not a sexual predator or lawbreaker. He apologized for making disrespectful comments in the past, including during his tenure as a judge on ITV's "Britain's Got Talent." The BBC has since removed some programs featuring Walliams and plans to review all material related to him on its platforms. Last year, HarperCollins dropped Walliams following accusations of harassing young female colleagues, which he denied. However, Walliams' lawyers have made attempts to prevent The Guardian and ITV News from identifying him in their reporting, citing mental health concerns.
A UK High Court judge has blocked David Walliams' attempt to secure an injunction preventing The Guardian and ITV News from identifying him in their reporting on allegations of grooming minors and sexual assault. Walliams' lawyer, Sara Mansoori, stated that he made an attempt on his life when he received letters from the publications seeking his response to the allegations. She also claimed that he later made another attempt and was admitted to hospital for psychiatric care last month. The summary of the court judgment indicated that some of the alleged conduct could amount to criminal offenses if proven. Nearly all the women alleging sexual misconduct by Walliams were identified only by first names, with one woman named "Jade" accusing him of sexual assault and grooming when she was 15 and he contacted her through social media in 2007. Another woman, "Alex," claimed that they engaged in sexual conduct for the first time at his home when she was 17 and he was 34, allegedly amounting to grooming. It is illegal under UK law for someone older than 18 to intentionally communicate with a child younger than 16 for a sexual purpose. Walliams' lawyers claim that they believed Alex was 18 at the time of their alleged encounters.