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Walliams admits 2017 relationship with intern, denies workplace misconduct
David Walliams admits having a consensual sexual relationship with an intern at HarperCollins in 2017, but she later described it as an abuse of power. A former employee also says Walliams pursued a younger colleague and that concerns about his emails were raised with managers and HR, without action. The allegations have renewed scrutiny of how the publisher handled complaints about a prominent author.
The article says HarperCollins opened an inquiry in late 2023, completed it in 2024, ended its publishing relationship with Walliams in December 2025 and later said it would no longer publish his books. Walliams denies sexually harassing anyone at the publisher or behaving inappropriately at work, and denies broader allegations of wrongdoing. The article also reports allegations by a woman who says Walliams sexually assaulted her when she was 15; he denies the claims.
In short
- Walliams admits a consensual relationship with a HarperCollins intern.
- She later described it as an abuse of power.
- HarperCollins ended its publishing relationship with him.
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The case for
Those defending HarperCollins’ handling could argue that it opened an inquiry, completed it and ultimately ended its publishing relationship with Walliams, while the reported relationship was described by him as consensual and he denies workplace misconduct. They may also stress that allegations must be assessed fairly and that a power imbalance, while serious, does not by itself establish that a specific workplace rule was breached.
The case against
Critics could argue that a senior, prominent author’s relationship with an intern raises serious concerns about consent and unequal power even if described as consensual, and that reports of emails and earlier complaints warranted a timely, effective response. The interval before the inquiry and the reported lack of action by managers or HR may suggest that the publisher did not adequately protect junior staff or hold a high-profile author to account.
Explained simply
David Walliams is a British comedian and children’s author whose books have been published by HarperCollins, one of the UK’s largest publishers. In 2017, he had a consensual relationship with an intern at the company; she later said the difference in their positions gave him power over her.
The allegations have raised questions about how HarperCollins handled concerns involving a high-profile author. The company says it investigated concerns raised in 2023, completed its inquiry in 2024 and ended its publishing relationship with Walliams in December 2025. Walliams denies workplace misconduct and other allegations, including a separate claim concerning a woman who says she was 15 at the time.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “David Walliams ‘had inappropriate sexual relationship with intern at publisher HarperCollins and pursued another employee before he was dropped for harassing women’”.