Comedian David Walliams faces multiple sexual misconduct allegations after injunction denied

A three-year joint investigation by ITV News and the Guardian has published a series of allegations that David Walliams engaged in sexual misconduct with several women, including encounters that began when they were 15 years old. The report follows a High Court decision that rejected Walliams' request to block the claims from being made public.

The investigation details accusations from multiple women who say Walliams groomed them as teenagers, with some describing later sexual activity as assault. One woman, identified as "Alex," said she first met Walliams at a fan event at age 15, maintained contact, and had consensual sex at 17, later describing the relationship as grooming. Another, "Jade," alleges that after meeting him at 15, Walliams kissed her, lifted her shirt and attempted further sexual contact, which she characterises as sexual assault. Additional accounts from former models and a junior employee at HarperCollins describe unwanted advances and power-imbalanced interactions.

Walliams responded in a letter to journalists, stating he is "not a sexual predator" and has not broken the law. He expressed regret for any thoughtless behaviour and acknowledged a power imbalance inherent in fame, but denied grooming or criminal activity. He said he is "devastated" by the hurt expressed by women he met years ago.

Following the publication, Walliams' literary agent Independent Talent Group confirmed it had dropped him. The BBC removed "Little Britain" from its iPlayer service, describing the allegations as serious. The Metropolitan Police said they have contacted the news outlets to inform potential victims of reporting options. HarperCollins announced it would cease publishing Walliams' books after an internal review. Syco Entertainment and Fremantle UK, linked to Britain's Got Talent, said they had no prior knowledge of the allegations and reported no complaints.

Walliams' legal team warned that further publication could have severe personal consequences, but after the injunction was denied, no appeal was lodged, allowing the allegations to be reported publicly.