David Walliams named in sexual misconduct investigation by Guardian and ITV
David Walliams has been identified as the celebrity behind a failed High Court injunction bid over sexual allegations. The comedian, 55, denies all claims.
David Walliams named after missing Court of Appeal deadline
David Walliams has been identified as the celebrity at the centre of a secrecy battle over sexual misconduct allegations, the Evening Standard reports, after the comedian and children's author missed the deadline to lodge an appeal against a High Court ruling.
Multiple women have accused Walliams, 55, of sexually inappropriate behaviour and grooming, including incidents alleged to have taken place when the women were teenagers, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News. Walliams denies all allegations, stating: "I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law."
The comedian had sought a court order to prevent Guardian News and Media (GNM) and Independent Television News (ITN) — which produces programmes for ITV, Channel 4, Good Morning Britain and Channel 5 — from publishing details of their inquiry. During a two-day trial in late October at the High Court in London, lawyers for the media organisations told the court the investigation concerned Walliams' alleged "abuse of power and status" to contact young women and attempt to engage in "inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities."
Walliams' legal team argued the injunction was necessary due to a risk that he would take his own life, citing two previous suicide attempts. In a judgment dated Tuesday, 3 November, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the injunction bid. Walliams was initially still protected from being named because he was granted the right to appeal, but he missed the Monday deadline to bring his case before the Court of Appeal. That left ITN and GNM free to publish his name in connection with the investigation.
His barrister told the October hearing that Walliams "has no intention of returning to public life."
The revelations represent the latest setback for a figure who, until several years ago, was regarded as one of British showbusiness's biggest stars. Walliams was a judge on Britain's Got Talent and had earned widespread comparisons to Roald Dahl for his best-selling run of children's books. His sketch comedy series Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, co-written with Matt Lucas, attracted millions of viewers.
He subsequently lost his role at Britain's Got Talent and his publishing contract with HarperCollins following earlier allegations that he had harassed young women at the publisher. Walliams strongly denied those claims. "He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions," a spokesperson said in December.
The Evening Standard has contacted Walliams' agents and lawyer for comment.
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Source: Evening Standard