David Walliams has ‘strongly denied’ allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women at his publisher HarperCollins who today dropped him as an author.
Mr Walliams, 54, was dropped by his publisher HarperCollins today after being accused of ‘harassing’ junior female employees at the firm.
One of the women who raised concerns about his behaviour was given a five-figure payout and has since left the company, The Telegraph reports.
Mr Walliams previously came under scrutiny following allegations of sexist remarks he is said to have made whilst a judge on ITV‘s Britain’s Got Talent.
But it was revealed today that he was also at the heart of an investigation at Harper Collins last year.
A junior colleague is said to have complained about his conduct, leading to other staff members being interviewed.
A spokesperson for David Walliams has since responded to the claims.
They 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.’
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
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.
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.
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