David Walliams Faces Grooming Allegations from Multiple Women, Denies Misconduct

British comedian and children’s author David Walliams, 55, is facing accusations of grooming teenage fans and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, according to reports from British media outlets The Guardian and ITV News. These outlets published a joint investigation detailing allegations from several women who provided firsthand accounts of Walliams’s alleged misconduct.

Walliams, through his lawyers, has denied targeting teenagers or using his fame to manipulate them into sexual relationships. In a letter addressed to journalists and published by The Guardian, Walliams stated, “I am not a sexual predator. 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.” He acknowledged having “behaved thoughtlessly” in the letter.

Walliams is widely recognized for his role in the early 2000s BBC sketch show “Little Britain.” He has authored over 40 books, including popular titles like “Mr. Stink,” “Gangsta Granny,” and “The Boy in the Dress,” which have been translated into more than 50 languages and 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 “disrespectful comments” made about contestants.

Following the investigation by ITV News and The Guardian, the BBC announced it would remove certain programs featuring Walliams and conduct a review of all related content on its platforms. Last year, his publisher, HarperCollins, ceased its relationship with him after he faced allegations of harassing young female colleagues, which he also denied.

Walliams had sought a court injunction to prevent ITV News and The Guardian from identifying him in their reporting but was unsuccessful, with a UK High Court judge denying his request last week. His lawyer, Sara Mansoori, informed the court that Walliams had made suicide attempts after receiving letters from the publications seeking his response to the allegations, leading to his hospitalization for psychiatric care last month. A summary of the court judgment indicated that some of the alleged conduct could constitute criminal offenses if proven.

The allegations involve several women, mostly identified by first names. One woman, identified as “Jade,” claimed that Walliams, then 36, contacted her via a social media page that listed her age as 15 and invited her to his home in 2007, accusing him of “sexual assault” and “grooming.” Walliams’s lawyers have denied any sexual contact with Jade.

Another woman, “Alex,” told The Guardian that she first met Walliams when she was 15 and an aspiring comedy writer, while he was 32. She alleged that they engaged in sexual conduct for the first time at his home when she was 17 and he was 34. Alex stated, “I think I was groomed, 100 percent. We met when I was 15, and he was promising to help me.” UK law prohibits individuals over 18 from intentionally communicating with a child under 16 for a sexual purpose. Walliams’s lawyers informed The Guardian that he believed Alex was 18 at the time of their interactions.