David Walliams has been identified as the “suicidal” celebrity accused of sexual misconduct trying to stop publications from revealing his name.
The actor has already threatened to commit suicide if his identity was revealed by the media, as The Guardian did on Tuesday morning.
According to the media, the author of successful children’s books is accused by several women of using his status to prepare them for sexual relations.
Two of the accusers, now in their thirties, claim to have met the actor for the first time when they were 15.
The Guardian noted that the allegations against the 55-year-old are believed to have spanned decades, from his BBC sketch show days to his time on “Britain’s Got Talent,” but the outlet did not provide further details.
HarperCollins, notably, made headlines last year for cutting ties with Walliams – and dropping its entire catalog – after an internal investigation into “inappropriate behavior” towards young female employees.
According to The Guardian, Walliams had a sexual relationship with a junior staff member at the publishing house.
Walliams denied any wrongdoing in a statement released Tuesday, writing: “Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved rashly towards other people with whom I had casual sexual relationships.
“And while an imbalance of power is inevitable when a party is famous, abusing that power is a whole different thing and something I have never done,” he continued. “I am not a sexual predator. I did not break the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 or 20 years ago are now expressing their hurt or anger towards me.”
The outlet and ITV News, among others, have been jointly investigating Walliams for months, speaking to young models and fans claiming TK sent them messages on social media when they were between 17 and 22, many of whom described their interactions as “distressing” and still affecting them years later.
News organizations also spoke to several people who allegedly witnessed or witnessed Walliams’ harassment of young women in the workplace.
Walliams, notably, sought an injunction against Independent Television News (ITN) as well as Guardian News and Media, which wanted to publish the allegations with his name, but he lost his bid on November 3 when the judge ruled that he could be named.
“The application made by the plaintiff is dismissed and the application for an injunction is refused,” Mr Justice Nicklin told the High Court in London.
However, initially, Nicklin issued a temporary injunction that protected his anonymity while he and his legal team decided whether to appeal.
His legal team told the court their client was not well enough to make a decision on whether to appeal.
During the proceedings, his lawyer, Sara Mansoori KC, argued that if her client’s name were published, he would attempt suicide, as he had attempted to do twice before.
She told the court: “The only reason they would not be fatal is because the claimant would be locked up and prevented from fulfilling his desire to end his life. »
“The plaintiff attempted suicide twice as a result of these events, was hospitalized for months, was subject to involuntary detention and was examined by several – now more than 10 – doctors.”
Mansoori also said that although the plaintiff denies the allegations, he “does not intend to return to public life.”
As for ITN and GNM, their lawyer argued that “the obligation lies with the hospital to ensure its safety”, and not with the media.
He also argued that his alleged victims who came forward “were traumatized by the Plaintiff’s alleged conduct and suffered mental health crises and mental illnesses as a result.”
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