OUT IN THE OPEN

BBC Star Accused of Shocking Sexual Misconduct After Legal Battle

The comedian and actor fought to prevent news organizations from publishing claims about his behavior toward women and teenage girls.

BBC comedy star David Walliams has been named as the mystery figure who launched a legal bid to stop the U.K. media from publishing allegations of sexual misconduct.

The 55-year-old became internationally famous through his BBC sketch comedy show Little Britain and starred in U.S. projects alongside Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.

He sought an injunction against two British news organizations—the Guardian and ITN—who were investigating allegations that he used his fame to prey on young women and teenage girls. Walliams, who denied the claims, argued their publication could lead to his suicide, and claimed he had twice tried to kill himself since he was approached by journalists in May.

The mystery identity of the “well-known individual” seeking the injunction has gripped the U.K. for weeks, sparking a flurry of social media speculation and attacks on the BBC—which has a history of employees being caught up in high-profile sexual scandals.

The Guardian published its story naming Walliams on Tuesday after he declined to launch an appeal against the decision to reject his bid for a lifelong injunction last week. It includes testimony from two women who said the star groomed them after meeting him when they were 15. The women are now in their 30s.

It also accused him of abuse of power by using his position as a host on Simon Cowell’s variety show Britain’s Got Talent to chase women, as well as at his publisher, HarperCollins, where he slept with a junior member of staff.

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Walliams has also built a hugely successful career writing children’s books, including Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and The Boy in the Dress. His books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. The World of David Walliams attraction at Alton Towers, the U.K.’s premier theme park, was permanently closed earlier this month.

One woman told the Guardian that she allegedly met Walliams when she was 15 after he sent her a MySpace message in 2007. “It wasn’t long until he asked me if I’d ever had sex before,” she told the Guardian.

After meeting in a cafe, she alleged that Walliams kissed her and invited her back to his home. When they arrived, he kissed her and lifted her shirt. “I wasn’t ready for sex... I didn’t want to be touched in that way at all. I mean, I was only a 15-year-old,” she added.

A judge at London’s High Court ruled on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the allegations could not be suppressed on the grounds that their publication might put his life in danger, the Guardian reported. Walliams then missed the deadline to appeal.

The court heard how Walliams had been sectioned under British mental health legislation the week before the hearing. He is still in a psychiatric hospital.

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In a letter to Guardian and ITN journalists, he wrote that he realized he has “at times behaved thoughtlessly” towards people with whom he had casual sex but that abusing his power is “something I never did.”

He added: “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.”

During the hearing, Mr. Justice Nicklin accepted the serious psychiatric risks that had been raised by Walliams’ lawyers but said that it should be down to medical professionals, not restrictions on journalism, to bear responsibility for protecting him.

The star’s legal team argued that if the allegations—which have not been established in court—were reported in the media, they could have devastating consequences for his mental health.

Walliams’ BBC comedy Little Britain became an early 2000s hit and led to a six-episode American spin-off, Little Britain USA, which premiered on HBO in September 2008 and featured appearances by Hollywood stars including Paul Rudd and Rosie O’Donnell.

He also appeared alongside Steve Carell in the 2010 comedy Dinner for Schmucks and with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in Netflix’s 2019 movie Murder Mystery.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. In the U.K., Samaritans can be reached free at 116 123.

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