David Walliams Investigated for Inappropriate Conduct With Teenagers

David Walliams Investigated

The joint reporting project features first-hand accounts from multiple women who accuse Walliams of inappropriate conduct when they were teenagers, with one alleging he sexually assaulted her at his home at age 15, The Guardian reported.

The investigation followed a four-year inquiry involving more than 30 sources with first-hand accounts, alongside more than two dozen people who had experienced or witnessed his alleged workplace harassment of young women. The outlets reviewed emails, social media messages, contemporaneous notes and newspaper articles, and reported that fans and models between 17 and 22 stated Walliams initiated conversations with them on social media.

Legal counsel for the media companies told the London high court that Walliams used his status and influence to establish contact with young women considerably younger than him, engaging in seriously inappropriate conduct that could amount to criminal offenses.

One woman recounted that in January 2004, when she was 15 and studying for her GCSEs, she received a phone call from Walliams after attending a fan event where he signed autographs as his character Lou. She recalled him saying: Hi, it’s David Walliams. You know, off the telly! She later received a postcard from him with a love heart drawn on the front, signed David x, and exchanged emails discussing potential work experience and her writing. She stated she took naked photographs in her bedroom, feeling the power imbalance alongside the excitement of who he was to her.

Another woman, Jade, recounted that in summer 2007, when she was 15, she met Walliams for coffee, where he asked her if she had ever had sex before.

After she disclosed she had been a victim of childhood sexual abuse, she recalled him telling her that we should wait until I’m 16 and then said to keep in contact … I remember him saying that. That comment will always stick out in my mind. That’s a very strange thing to say. Another woman, Ella, now a mother in her 30s, described feeling vulnerable and intimidated in his house, calling his behavior emotionally manipulative and inappropriate, and characterizing his pursuit of her at a young age as an abuse of power.

Comedian Denies Allegations

Walliams, 55, denied all allegations of predatory behavior and breaking the law through his legal representatives. I am not a sexual predator, Walliams said, according to ITV News.

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 added: 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.

Prior to publication, Walliams sought a high court injunction to stop the media outlets from identifying him. His legal team argued that exposing him to public scrutiny would likely lead him to take his own life. Justice Matthew Nicklin rejected the injunction request last week, ruling that the risk of self-harm did not outweigh press freedom and the public interest.

Lawyers for Walliams sought a permanent injunction against The Guardian and ITN after the outlets sent letters in May seeking his response. His legal team told the court that he had made two suicide attempts as a result of the matter, had been hospitalized for months, and was detained by the government under Britain’s Mental Health Act after being examined by more than 10 doctors. His lawyers argued that fear of public shame caused by childhood trauma would drive him to take his own life.

Walliams’ legal team denied he groomed young women, stated he never had sexual contact with Jade, maintained he understood Alex to be 18 when she reconnected and did not recall asking for sexual pictures, and asserted that his friendship with Alex lasted about five years, that he wanted to help her with a photography career, and that he understood the friendship to be special and was devastated by her account.

Publisher and BBC Fallout

The fallout has led to immediate professional consequences for the comedian, who is best known for the sketch show Little Britain and writing dozens of children’s books. The BBC announced Tuesday it was removing several programs featuring Walliams while reviewing all material connected to him on its platforms.

Literary agency Independent Talent Group also dropped Walliams in the wake of the allegations. HarperCollins previously dropped him as a publisher in 2025 following separate concerns regarding workplace behavior.

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Earlier coverage: David Walliams Faces Allegations of Misconduct Towards Young Women