David Walliams loved being famous.
asserted
Walliams → love → ?
"It's quite surreal, finding yourself successful and well known," the comedian and children's author told the ABC's documentary series Advice to My 12 Year Old Self in 2018.
asserted
comedian → find → 2018
"It's a very, very special thing and I pinch myself every day and think how lucky I am."
Warning:
asserted
I → pinch → myself
This article includes allegations of sexual assault and references to suicide some readers may find distressing.
uncertain
readers → include → suicide
Multiple people have now alleged he used that fame to groom teenage fans, sexually assault a 15-year-old girl and harass women at work.
asserted
he → allege → work
The claims were published after a three-year investigation by ITV News and The Guardian, which Mr Walliams unsuccessfully tried to block in London's High Court.
uncertain
Walliams → publish → Court
Mr Walliams has denied all the allegations but the fallout has been swift and brutal.
asserted
fallout → deny → allegations
The author was dropped by his literary agent, his back catalogue is being scrubbed from online platforms, and bookstores are returning his unsold books to their publisher, HarperCollins, which will no longer print any of his books.
asserted
which → drop → books
Metropolitan Police said it would "carefully assess" reports of any allegation against Mr Walliams, but stressed that it had not received any claims about him.
uncertain
it → say → him
British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the allegations as "the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power" in the entertainment industry.
asserted
Nandy → describe → industry
Ministers will meet leaders from the TV, film and publishing industry over the coming week to discuss strengthening protections for women and children.
asserted
Ministers → meet → women
The government tightened non-disclosure agreement (NDA) laws in 2025, and will now consider going even further — possibly even banning them.
uncertain
government → tighten → them
Zelda Perkins is a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein who broke an NDA to reveal the truth about the disgraced movie mogul in 2017.
asserted
who → break → 2017
She criticised the way Mr Walliams attempted to prevent the investigation being published.
asserted
investigation → criticise → way
"The issue with these legal mechanisms that are used to protect reputation are really only open and available to those who have a lot of money and power," she told the ABC.
asserted
she → use → ABC
Ms Perkins went on to found Can't Buy My Silence UK, which has successfully campaigned for legislative change aimed at giving victims a voice.
asserted
which → go → voice
"It's very rare that a victim wants to go public because, frankly, I can tell you it ruins your life," Ms Perkins said.
asserted
Perkins → want → life
"The reasons victims tend to go public is because they've been silenced."
asserted
they → tend → ?
Old jokes seen in new light
Now attention has turned to what The Times newspaper dubbed "David Walliams's circle of enablers".
asserted
newspaper → see → enablers
Old quips have been reassessed in a new light, including a gag from TV presenter Jonathan Ross when he hosted the British Comedy Awards in 2004.
"The Comedy Awards is 15 years old," Mr Ross announced.
asserted
Ross → reassess → 2004
"It's like all 15-year-olds — it's drunk, it is unpredictable and it's probably going home with David Walliams," he said, as the crowd laughed.
asserted
crowd → go → Walliams
Mr Walliams joined in, holding a V sign up to the camera.
asserted
Walliams → join → camera
Since the allegations were published, Ross released a statement saying he was "horrified" by the allegations against Mr Walliams — as well as the rape conviction of comedian Russell Brand.
asserted
he → publish → Brand
On Monday, Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years' jail for rape and three counts of sexual assault.
asserted
Brand → sentence → assault
In his statement, Ross said he was once "on friendly terms with both men", but that at the time he was "genuinely unaware of their conduct".
asserted
he → say → conduct
A 'laddie' culture of misogyny
Brand's sentencing and the allegations against Mr Walliams have sparked a conversation about the culture of Britain's entertainment industry.
asserted
sentencing → spark → industry
Author and comedian Shappi Khorsandi performed with Brand in the early stages of his career.
asserted
Khorsandi → perform → career
Following his conviction, she told Channel 4's Russell Brand: On Trial podcast a "laddie" culture of misogyny was widespread in the 1990s and 2000s.
asserted
culture → follow → 1990s
She described the environment as "stifling" for women and said it caused many female comics to leave the industry.
asserted
comics → describe → industry
Professor of Inequalities in Media, Culture and Creative Industries at Goldsmiths, University of London, Rosalind Gill, told the ABC the "laddism" culture was characterised by "an unapologetic interest in beer, football, women and shagging, to use the language of the time".
asserted
culture → tell → time
Professor Gill explained that it was difficult to challenge because it was claimed to be "ironic" or "just banter".
asserted
it → explain → ?
"This meant that anyone trying to make criticisms could instantly be dismissed as humourless … or as someone who just didn't get it," Professor Gill said.
uncertain
Gill → mean → it
Ms Khorsandi told Channel 4 she had been made to feel embarrassed for trying to challenge the culture at the time.
asserted
she → tell → time
"I was mocked for putting a very, very drunk girl into a taxi and not letting her go with these two male comedians.
asserted
her → mock → comedians
They called me c*** blocker and Shappi the chaperone," she said.
asserted
she → call → me
"And I felt shame, like, 'They don't like me anymore.'
asserted
They → feel → me
"
Ms Perkins said the MeToo movement and women like Giselle Pelicot meant the shame had shifted.
asserted
shame → say → Pelicot
"Culture does take a long time to change but there has been a huge change," she said.
asserted
she → take → time
The advocate pointed at the vast legislative change over the past nine years.
asserted
advocate → point → years
Her own organisation, Can't Buy My Silence UK, has successfully lobbied to change four laws in the UK, which will make NDAs void if one is used to silence victims or witnesses of harassment, discrimination, or crime.
asserted
one → buy → harassment
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
