David Walliams has ‘strongly denied’ allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women at his publisher HarperCollins after the firm dropped him as an author.
Mr Walliams, 54, has been accused of ‘harassing’ junior female employees at the company following an investigation that began last year.
The former Britain’s Got Talent judge previously came under scrutiny following allegations of sexist remarks he is said to have made whilst working on the ITV show.
But it has now emerged he has also been at the heart of an investigation at Harper Collins after allegations were made about is behaviour in 2023.
A junior colleague is said to have complained about his conduct, leading to other staff members being interviewed.
One of the women who raised concerns was given a five-figure payout and has since left the company, according to The Telegraph.
A spokesperson for Mr Walliams has since responded to the claims, saying he ‘strongly denies’ behaving inappropriately.
The comedian also claims he was never informed of any allegations raised against him before being dropped by HarperCollins and was not made aware of any investigation.
David Walliams, 54, is accused of ‘harassing’ junior female employees at the firm, resulting in one staff member being offered a five-figure settlement
The children’s author has published more than 40 works which have been translated into 55 languages and sold more than 60 million copies
The spokesperson said: ‘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.’
Sources told the The Telegraph that the investigation led to several junior employees being kept away from the author and one being paid a settlement.
Former employees also described how they were advised to work in pairs when meeting with him and told not to visit his home.
Allegations first emerged in 2023, prompting interviews with staff who worked with Mr Walliams, with the investigation reportedly involving an in-house lawyer.
But he is understood to have not been aware of the investigation at the time or been informed of its conclusions.
A spokesman for Harper Collins said: ‘After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision.
‘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 decision to drop Walliams comes after the departure of former CEO Charlie Redmayne in October.
David Walliams and Lara Stone in 2010 at Hampton Court Palace. The pair divorced in 2015
Walliams with son Alfred as they celebrated World Book Day in 2023
The children’s author, who began writing books in 2008, has published more than 40 works which have been translated into 55 languages and sold more than 60 million copies.
While Mr Walliams was once TV royalty, a string of scandals in recent years have seen him step back from the spotlight.
The comedian left Britain’s Got Talent when vile sexual comments he made about female contestants emerged.
In 2022, a leaked transcript revealed that he called one auditioning contestant a ‘c**’ and said of another: ‘she thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t’.
The comments, made in January 2020 during auditions at the London Palladium, were picked up on the programme’s microphones.
Mr Walliams apologised at the time the comments became public and acknowledged they were ‘disrespectful’, adding they were part of a private conversation that was ‘never intended to be shared’.
He has not truly returned to primetime since, despite his books continuing to be a hit and reportedly making up more than 40 per cent of revenue for Harper Collins’ children’s department.
The showbiz giant behind the show, Simon Cowell, is said to have since gone to great lengths to distance himself from Mr Walliams, with the pair ‘no longer on speaking terms at all’.
In June this year, it was reported the author made two Nazi salutes during a recording of the Christmas edition of the BBC’s comedy panel show Would I Lie To You?
The comedian apparently ‘jokingly’ made the salutes while Call the Midwife actress Helen George was telling a story from her time on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015.
The host, Rob Brydon, condemned Walliams and reminded him that the show went out before the watershed.
However, as George continued to explain her Strictly story, Walliams is said to have made the gesture for a second time, this time with a sexual twist.
Walliams’s team captain, Lee Mack was said to have looked unimpressed while one audience member revealed the the salutes landed ‘awkwardly’.
The former Little Britain star is now said to be facing Christmas alone and apart from his son, Alfred, 12.
He co-parents Alfred with ex-wife Lara Stone after the couple divorced in 2015 following a five-year marriage.
Mr Walliams remains single while ex Ms Stone has since found love with her property developer husband of four years, David Grievson.
Recent social media posts suggest he is currently enjoying a break in the Maldives.
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