David Walliams Faces Multiple Serious Sexual Misconduct and Grooming Allegations
David Walliams is accused of sexual misconduct and grooming young girls. Read the detailed claims and the comedian's official response.
POLICY WIRE — London — Comedian and writer David Walliams is at the center of a joint investigation by ITV and The Guardian involving accusations of sexual misconduct and grooming girls as young as 15 years old.
The reports suggest the former media personality utilized his high profile to target young females, with some interactions occurring on the social media platform MySpace.
Walliams attempted to secure a legal injunction to stop the stories from being published, but the bid was unsuccessful due to concerns regarding his potential for self-harm following a history of two suicide attempts.
The Guardian released its findings immediately after the appeal deadline expired, while ITV made its documentary titled ‘Power And Silence’ available on YouTube ahead of its television premiere on ITV1.
Walliams has issued a firm denial of all wrongdoing. In a letter sent to investigative journalists months ago, he acknowledged that, looking back, he may have acted thoughtlessly toward women with whom he had casual sexual encounters.
He expressed regret for not always properly accounting for the feelings of those involved, but maintained that while a power imbalance exists between celebrities and others, he never abused that position or ever acts in a predatory manner.
The comedian explicitly stated he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law, though he is devastated that women he met a decade or more ago are now expressing anger or emotional pain.
One accuser, identified only as Jade, claims she was 15 and Walliams was 36 when they began communicating online in 2007, leading to an in-person meeting in August of that year.
Jade alleges that after being invited to his residence, she was sexually assaulted, a claim Walliams denies. She told reporters she did not want to be touched that way given her age, though he allegedly agreed to wait until she was 16 after she initially pulled away.
Another woman named Alex claims Walliams offered to support her comedy writing ambitions after they met at a fan event in London in early 2004 when she was 15.
Following months of emails and phone calls, Alex says Walliams pressured her into sending sexual photographs in 2005 when she was 17, an allegation of grooming that the comedian denies.
Alex describes the relationship as having three instances of consensual contact when she was 17 and 18, but asserts she felt she lacked control or the ability to speak up during those moments. Walliams’s legal team has dismissed the grooming claims as false and noted they have caused the client significant mental distress.
Former model Lilly Creightmore stated that she was 18 when Walliams sent her a card in 2003, later providing her with a place to stay during a period of homelessness.
Creightmore accuses the comedian of pushing her to share his bed, claiming he crossed physical boundaries to coerce her into a sexual relationship. Walliams has denied any inappropriate behavior and stated he is devastated by these accusations.
Additionally, a model known as Ella reported that Walliams called her at 19 in 2007, took her to dinner, and sent flowers before later inviting her to a party at his home in 2008.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
