The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation into David Walliams following reports of "alleged serious sexual offences". This investigation follows reports from ITV News and The Guardian alleging that the comedian and children’s author faced accusations of sexual misconduct from several women.
Allegations and police response
The Met stated it received "a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s." While the force noted these specific allegations are separate from those reported by ITN and The Guardian, detectives are proactively reviewing that reporting to establish if there is evidence of offences. One woman, who was 15 at the time of an encounter, characterised the incident as a "sexual assault," though Walliams denied having any sexual contact with her. Other women alleged he targeted them with unwanted sexual advances or engaged in "grooming" when they were teenagers. One allegation also claimed Walliams had a sexual relationship with at least one junior employee at publisher HarperCollins and pursued another.
Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, who leads the investigation, said: "We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak to us, no matter when it happened." He added that specialist officers are available to provide support and guide victims through the process.
Walliams denies wrongdoing
Walliams, 55, rejected all allegations of criminal activity and grooming. After a judge denied his legal bid to prevent media publication, he wrote to journalists regarding his past conduct. "Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with," he said. He admitted he did not always take people’s feelings properly into account but maintained, "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."
