David Walliams accused of preying on young fans for sex

    David Walliams accusations

    David Walliams has been accused of “predatory” behaviour by a number of young women. He denies the allegations.

    A new report by The Guardian and ITV News claims that Walliams “abused his power” with a number of fans. They also allege that Harper Collins severed ties with Walliams after concerns were raised about his behaviour over several years, including an allegation that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior female employee and pursued another.

    One former fan alleged that she met Walliams when she was 15 and they exchanged emails. She says they got back in touch when she was 17, and that she ended up sending the comedian nude photos. “I could really feel the imbalance at that point already, but equally I was young and there was an element of excitement, because of the context of who he was to me,” she told The Guardian.

    She also said the pair had sex multiple times when she was still 17. “It felt very … pushy,” she said of the encounters. “I never said no but I felt unable to say anything or have any control in that situation once I was with him.” Walliams’ lawyers claim the star believed she was 18 and denies being “pushy”. They added that Walliams was mortified to learn that their brief, consensual relationship had caused her sadness.

    Another former fan has accused Walliams of “highly inappropriate” behaviour after he invited the 18-year-old to stay at his house after she fell out with her mother. “[Every night he] would plead with me to share a bed with him. He was pursuing me, you know, at a vulnerable age and place in my life, for sexual gratification,” she told The Guardian.

    “Yeah, I was a young adult, but I was a vulnerable young adult. [He was] making me feel special, plying me with gifts and then sort of disregarding me when he wasn’t getting what he wanted.”

    Lawyers for Walliams say he denies grooming and behaving inappropriately. They add that he did not target her because she was vulnerable or young, nor did he manipulate or coerce her into sleeping with him. The allegations reportedly came as a “complete surprise”.

    Walliams is also accused of inappropriate behaviour while working on Britain’s Got Talent, though the production company behind the show claim they never received any complaints about the judge.

    Walliams denies any wrongdoing. His lawyers tried to stop story from being reported via a high court injunction, which was dismissed last week. In a letter to journalists working on the investigation, Walliams admitted that he “behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with” and that he “did not always take people’s feelings properly into account.

    “That is something I regret. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that 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.”

    For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

    The post David Walliams accused of preying on young fans for sex appeared first on NME.

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