British celebrity who fought to hide misconduct allegations through lawsuit unmasked

British author and comedian David Walliams has been identified as the man who sought to prevent ITN and The Guardian from naming him in reports about allegations of inappropriate and exploitative conduct involving girls and young women. Walliams denies the allegations.

The children’s author, who starred in the BBC sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, was identified only as “PPT” during the court proceedings. According to TMZ, he was accused of using his fame and influence over several years to pursue inappropriate intimate relationships with multiple girls and young women.

In an hour-long ITN documentary, a woman identified as “Alex” said she met Walliams at a Little Britain signing in London in 2004, when she was 15 and he was 32. She alleged that he called her attractive and stared intently into her eyes.

Another woman alleged that Walliams assaulted her at his home when she was 15. She said he kissed her and touched her without her consent, and that she pulled away and told him no.

TMZ previously reported that Walliams had been removed from the upcoming UK film The Road to Nevermore. A source close to the production told the outlet that he was dropped after the allegations surfaced and that his name was removed from the film’s IMDb listing.

Walliams’s lawyers argued that revealing his identity would put him at serious risk of trying to unalive himself. Lawyers for ITN and The Guardian argued that publication was in the public interest and that his mental health concerns should be addressed through medical care.

Mr Justice Matthew Nicklin rejected Walliams’s bid to block publication, although his identity remained temporarily protected while a possible appeal was considered. The judge had previously warned that anyone who breached the court order by identifying Walliams could face imprisonment.