British children’s author and comedian David Walliams has been accused of using his fame to pursue girls and young women for sex, in allegations reported by ITV News and The Guardian.
Several women spoke to the two news organisations, including one who alleged that Walliams sexually assaulted her when she was 15. The claims remain unproven.
Walliams, 55, denies the allegations and had sought a High Court injunction to prevent ITV News and The Guardian’s publisher from identifying him. The application was rejected last week, although his identity was protected until late Monday.
“I am not a sexual predator,” Walliams said, according to ITV. “I have not broken the law.”
Lawyers for the media organisations told the court that the allegations concerned an alleged abuse of Walliams’ power and status, including attempts to contact young women for what they described as inappropriate sexual activity.
A summary of the judgment said the allegations had been gathered during a “wide-ranging and rigorous investigation”. It said some of the alleged conduct could amount to criminal offences if proved.
Walliams’ lawyer, Sara Mansoori, previously told the court that he had attempted to take his own life after receiving letters seeking his response to the allegations. She said he later made another attempt and had recently been admitted to hospital for psychiatric care.
Justice Matthew Nicklin said Walliams had a “serious and longstanding psychiatric vulnerability” which had to be taken seriously. He also said publication of the allegations would substantially increase the risk of suicide, but that the evidence did not establish that suicide was inevitable.
The judge said the injunction would represent “an exceptionally serious interference” with the rights of the media companies. He added that Walliams’ statements were “not a reliable basis for concluding that no future treatment or intervention could alter that risk”.
The case has attracted widespread attention in Britain because it raises questions about the privacy rights of public figures and the circumstances in which allegations can be reported in the public interest.
