David Walliams has broken his silence after reports accused him of inappropriate behaviour towards women. The comedian strongly denies the allegations after publishers HarperCollins confirmed they have severed ties with him earlier today.
The former Britain’s Got Talent star has released a number of books with the agent, including successful kids books with the publisher, but reports allege that Walliams “harassed” junior female employees at the publisher.
However, the comic, 54, has quickly moved to firmly deny any wrongdoing. In a statement released on his behalf, a spokesperson told PA: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins. He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice”.
Earlier in the day, as the allegations broke and news of his removal from HarperCollins came to light, a spokesperson for the publisher told the Mirror: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams”.
A spokesperson had told the Telegraph: “The author is aware of this decision”. They continued to say: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters”.
The claims come three years after Walliams stepped down from his Britain’s Got Talent judging position. In November 2022, he stepped down after a transcript of comments he made about contestants during a break in filming were brought to the public’s attention.
During his time on the show, he sat alongside the likes of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon. However, following his exit, he was replaced by Strictly Come Dancing star Bruno Tonioli.
Among his comments, the public heard how Walliams referred to one BGT hopeful as “a c**t”. Speaking during the breaks in filming in the 2020 series, he was also heard saying of another, “she thinks you want to f**k her, but you don’t”.
Walliams made a public apology shortly after the incident. He continued, “These were private conversations, and they were never intended to be shared like the majority of conversations with friends.” I apologize, though.
The language used by Walliams was “inappropriate,” according to a BGT production company representative at the time. They added that “those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show’s expectations for upcoming professional conduct.”
In a High Court writ, Walliams later brought a lawsuit against BGT producers Fremantle. He claimed that the business “recorded, recorded, and stayed in private chats for ten years” and violated data protection laws in a significant way.
The actor claimed in legal documents that the writ caused him to find himself struggling with suicidal thoughts after leaving the talent show.
We had a long and successful relationship with David and are surprised and depressed by this legal action, according to a Fremantle spokesperson who spoke to the Mirror in October 2023.
We, for our part, will continue to be on hand and willing to talk through this dispute amicably. We will examine the various allegations and are ready to vigorously defend ourselves in the interim, though.
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Source: Mirror
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