Publisher ditches David Walliams after harassment claim
Comics and bestselling British children’s book author David Walliams has been sacked by HarperCollins UK after a newspaper reported that the publisher was investigating allegations that he harassed some of its young female employees.
The newspaper said one of the women who raised concerns about the 54-year-old former Britain’s Got Talent judge was given a five-figure salary by the broadcaster and left.
“After careful consideration and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish new works by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision,” the publisher told the Daily Telegraph in a statement on Friday.
“HarperCollins takes employee welfare extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect individuals’ privacy, we do not comment on internal matters.”
Representatives for Walliams did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Walliams, who rose to fame in the early 2000s on the TV show Little Britain with comedy partner Matt Lucas, has sold more than 60 million books and been translated into 55 languages.
Her bestsellers include her 2008 debut album The Boy in the Dress, Billionaire Boy and Gangsta Granny.
Citing sources, the Daily Telegraph said that following the investigation, some junior officers were kept away from the writer and one employee received compensation.
HarperCollins UK, the British division of the global publisher owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, appointed Kate Elton as chief executive in October following the departure of Charlie Redmayne.
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