David Walliams accused of grooming teenage fans, sexually harassing women

British comedian and children's author David Walliams has been named in a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News, which has brought forward multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him, including claims of grooming teenage girls and inappropriate behaviour towards women in professional settings.

The allegations became public on November 10 after Walliams missed the deadline to appeal a High Court ruling that dismissed his attempt to prevent the two media organisations from identifying him and reporting their findings.

Allegations against David Walliams

The three-year investigation features accounts from several women who allege that Walliams used his celebrity status and influence to pursue inappropriate relationships with them.

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According to the report, journalists spoke to more than 100 people, including over 30 individuals with first-hand knowledge of the comedian's alleged conduct.

One of the accounts involves a woman who said she first met Walliams at a fan event when she was 15 and he was 32. She alleged that the comedian contacted her by telephone a few days after their meeting in January 2004. She recalled him saying over the phone in January 2004, “Hi, it’s David Walliams. You know, off the telly!”

The woman claimed that they remained in contact through phone calls and emails. According to her account, their relationship eventually became sexual when she turned 17.

Explaining why she believed she had been groomed, she said, “I think I was groomed, 100%. We met when I was 15 and he was promising to help me and was a figure of authority and someone that I looked to for guidance and help. He used that power and abused that power the minute he felt he just about could and it was just about safe to.”

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Walliams’ lawyers said he believed she was 18 at the time and denied that he groomed her.

A second woman alleged she met Walliams when she was 15 after contacting him on MySpace in 2007. She alleged he invited her to his London home and initiated sexual contact.

She described the experience as “sexual assault” and “grooming”.

Walliams’ lawyers denied that any sexual contact took place with her and rejected allegations of serious criminal conduct.

The investigation also includes allegations of inappropriate conduct towards women who worked with Walliams on Britain's Got Talent and at children's book publisher HarperCollins.

Some women reportedly described him as persistent in his attempts to establish sexual relationships, while others alleged that he contacted young female employees.

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Walliams has denied the allegations.

Before the reports were published, Walliams initiated legal proceedings against Independent Television News (ITN) and Guardian News and Media (GNM), the publisher of The Guardian, seeking an injunction to stop the organisations from identifying him.

The comedian was initially allowed to remain anonymous while the possibility of an appeal was considered. However, after he failed to approach the Court of Appeal before the deadline, The Guardian and ITV News were able to identify him publicly on Tuesday.

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David Walliams on the allegations

In a statement to The Guardian and ITV News, Walliams has strongly rejected the accusations.

"Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with… I realise I did not always take people's feelings properly into account. That is something I regret," he said.

“And 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…“I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law… I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to twenty years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”