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At first, the public only knew that a man was accused of using his fame and power to prey upon women.
Until now, the world only knew that the anonymous celebrity had threatened to take his own life if his name became public.
That man is comedian, former Britain’s Got Talent judge, and children’s book author David Walliams.
Some, familiar with why he has lost a couple of his most famous gigs, might find this less surprising than others.
No longer anonymous
On Tuesday, November 10, The Guardian publicly identified Walliams as the allegedly suicidal celebrity.
The allegations say that he used his status to groom women between the ages of 17 and 22 for sex.
Walliams, upon learning that the story would be published, fought frantically with the court to get an injunction to prevent his name from coming up.
However, the court ruled that he could be named.
The court maintained this even after Walliams’ team argued that he was in danger of taking his own life if the world found out.
A joint three-year investigation by ITV News and the Guardian reveals allegations David Walliams preyed on teenage girls as young as 15
Walliams denies all allegations including criminal activity
Read and watch the full investigation here: https://t.co/Hh4zwec4h9 https://t.co/gbdezDub94
— ITV News (@itvnews) November 10, 2026
Walliams’ attorney, Sara Mansoori KC, essentially argued to the court that naming her client would be tantamount to a death sentence.
“The only reason they would not be fatal is because the claimant would be locked up and prevented from his desire to end his life,” she claimed.
“The claimant has attempted suicide twice as a result of these matters,” she alleged.
Mansoori went on to say that Walliams has “been hospitalized for months, been the subject of involuntary detention and been examined by multiple — now more than 10 — doctors.”
She also sought to assure the court that Walliams “has no intention of returning to public life.”
All things considered, this name-drop is sadly not a shock
Walliams denies the allegations against him. They are, notably, not the first that have come his way.
From 2012 until 2022, he was a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. In 2022, there were reports that he made derogatory and also sexually explicit remarks to contestants on the show.
He left. There was also a legal dispute, which was settled in 2023.
In 2025, despite being a bestselling children’s author, Walliams underwent an investigation by HarperCollins into — you guessed it — allegations of sexual harassment towards young women at the company.
The publishing giant then ended their contract with him and has stated that they will no longer sell or reprint his existing books.
Just rewound Sky News 6½ hours (on their YouTube channel) to watch that moment for myself
All things considered, perhaps Walliams is not the most shocking name to anyone familiar with why he is no longer on Britain’s Got Talent or why he is no longer churning out books through HarperCollins.
Many may understandably feel uneasy at the idea of naming an alleged predator who might take his own life if publicly identified.
However, it is surely in the interest of justice for people to be familiar with any credible allegations against Walliams.
Additionally, surely most would agree that the trauma of victims of sexual predation generally experience worse mental health symptoms, including suicidal ideation, than the alleged perpetrators.
Walliams’ name is out there. Whatever comes next is up to him.
David Walliams Identified as Alleged Sexual Predator Who Threatened Suicide If Named was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
