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David Walliams Identified as Celebrity in Sexual Misconduct Allegations After Legal Bid
David Walliams Identified as Celebrity in Sexual Misconduct Allegations After Legal Bid
Comedian and author David Walliams has been identified as the anonymous celebrity accused of sexual misconduct following a failed legal attempt to prevent media organizations from publishing his name. The High Court ruled against Walliams, who had argued that publication would lead to suicide, allowing The Guardian and ITN to reveal his identity alongside allegations spanning decades.
Comedian David Walliams has been identified as the anonymous celebrity accused of sexual misconduct after a High Court judge refused an application to keep his name secret. The ruling allows The Guardian and Independent Television News (ITN) to publish the allegations alongside his identity, ending a bid by Walliams’ legal team to maintain anonymity.
The 55-year-old entertainer had sought an injunction against the media organizations, arguing that revealing his name would trigger a suicide attempt. During proceedings at the London High Court on Tuesday, his attorney, Sara Mansoori KC, told Mr. Justice Nicklin that Walliams had attempted suicide twice previously as a result of the allegations and had been hospitalized for months.
Mansoori stated that the claimant was not well enough to decide whether to appeal the interim injunction that had temporarily protected his anonymity. She argued that if his name were published, he would attempt to end his life again, noting that the only reason such attempts might not be fatal is because he would be detained in a hospital.
Justice Nicklin dismissed the claim and refused the injunction, ruling that Walliams can be named. The judge noted that the obligation to keep the comedian safe falls on medical institutions, not the media organizations reporting the story.
According to The Guardian, which broke the news Tuesday morning, multiple women are accusing Walliams of using his fame to groom them for sex. Two accusers, now in their 30s, claim they first met the actor when they were 15 years old. The allegations reportedly span decades, covering his time on BBC sketch shows and his tenure as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent.
Walliams has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement published Tuesday, he wrote: "Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something I never did."
He continued: "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." Mansoori added that while her client denies the allegations, he has no intention of returning to public life.
The legal battle follows previous professional consequences for Walliams. Last year, publisher HarperCollins cut ties with him and dropped his entire back catalog after an internal investigation into "inappropriate behavior" toward young female employees. The Guardian reported that Walliams had a sexual relationship with a junior member of staff at the publishing company.
Attorneys for ITN and Guardian News and Media argued during the hearing that the accusers who came forward have been traumatized by the alleged conduct, suffering mental health crises as a result. They contended that preventing publication would cause further harm to the victims while offering no protection against Walliams’ stated intent to self-harm.
The High Court’s decision removes the final barrier to full public disclosure of the comedian’s identity in connection with these serious allegations.
K.Morrison--SMC
