LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) – David Walliams, a bestselling British children’s author, was dropped by HarperCollins UK on Friday after the Daily Telegraph reported the publisher had investigated claims that he had harassed some of its junior female employees.
The newspaper said one of the women who had raised concerns about the 54-year-old had been given a five-figure payoff by the publisher and left.
“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,” the publisher said in a statement to the Daily Telegraph.
“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.”
Walliams’ representatives did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Walliams, who found fame on British television with comedy partner Matt Lucas in the early 2000s, has sold more than 60 million books and been translated into 55 languages.
His bestsellers include his 2008 debut “The Boy in the Dress”, “Billionaire Boy” and “Gangsta Granny”.
The Daily Telegraph, citing sources, said that, following the investigation, some junior staff were kept away from the author and one employee had received a payoff.
HarperCollins UK, the British division of the global publisher owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, appointed Kate Elton as its chief executive in October after the departure of Charlie Redmayne.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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