I just watched the Walliams programme and...

[Headtorch]

I don't think it was that bad?

Maybe with all the hype I expected it to be on the RB scale, but it isn't.

Undoubtedly a sleaze and probably several cases that could be brought for workplace harassment, but as terrible as I expected. Enough that those companies should refuse to employ him though, which they have, now it's come out.

Which I guess shows how low the bar is.

I kind of agree too,with the injunction and everything I guess i was mentally prepared for worse,if that makes sense? I feel it's similar to Scofield but on a much bigger scale. Still awful but I'm glad they didn't pander to him by allowing the injunction to stay in place.

Not that bad??

He abused a position of trust to exploit children.

How is that not “as bad”?

I feel so sorry for the children of these men
obviously first sympathy goes to the victims, but imagine having to go to school in these days and have everyone know what they did. it's hard at any age or relaise just what kind of person your father is, but for him to be famous, for everyone to know. Lana and DW's is largely under the radar. Laura is apparently moving here with the kids. I hope the media leave them alone and don't identify them in their need for headlines.

He also allegedly sexually assaulted a 15 year old. I suppose that's "not that bad" too.

so imagine how desperate she must have been to do that. just because women make stupid decisions doesn't mean they deserve to be abused. you might as well start asking what she was wearing for bed and if she ever had alcohol around him!

I think Walliams must be thanking his lucky stars for Russell Brand right now. Because in any other circumstance, what he has done would certainly be seen as “that bad”. A 15yo kid confided in him that she’d been sexually abused, and he responded by sexually abusing her. He’s the lowest of the low, and I would bet my house that this is the tip of a very dirty iceberg.

Matt Lucas I feel is just as bad for letting him do this segment on their tours 😞

I feel there's an element of this too 😞

Then I am thankful you are not a judge !

I prefer justice that will end up completely decimating someone’s life, being tested by witness testimony from BOTH sides, where who has the deepest pockets plays no part. With evidence presented to a jury.

She has a point. If he were a local Pakistani business man or councillor the situation might not seem so nuanced.

But that’s exactly why RBs victims felt able to come forward. I think it’s massively important to shine a very bright light on this stuff and keep shining it. And in a forum like this, if victims of CSA or other forms of abuse feel quietly heard and understood or even emboldened to come forward the that’s enough of a potential positive for me to keep banging on about until it stops.

not just on NDAs - it's a really important listen on

• the fact that the entertainment industry has no systemic safeguarding framework including training and reporting
• the fear that those working within it have of losing their livelihoods if they report someone more powerful than them
• the alleged pattern of DW's behaviour

He, IMO, is probably worried about who else might come forward now. That’s what happed with RB. I’d hazard a guess that there are more.

CSAbusers once they overcome one barrier/taboo often keep going. If he did assault the 15 year old in the way she describes (and I believe her) then I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there is more of a similar nature and possibly worse still 😔

HarperCollins, in my opinion, have a LOT of questions to answer. It is abundantly clear that senior HR were aware and their response was nothing more than telling female staff not to be alone with him. They only acted when wagons started to circle and rumours became more public.

She had another option, which she sensibly took, the question is why that wasn't her first option.

I am not blaming her, I do not think Walliams behaved well (based on her account), but I don't think this 'case' has any place amongst a list of sexual misconduct issues.

Based on her account, he made it very clear from the outset he was sexually interested in her. He didn't initiate contact because he thought they could be friends, or they had a shared interest, or she seemed like a lovely person, he 'saw her across a crowded room' to use a cliche, and fancied her.

I question why she made and maintained contact with him at all when she did not reciprocate his feelings.

I do. Two. And I plan to educate them about this sort of stuff. I had a relationship with my much older boss when I was 17. I think that’s pretty disgusting now, I was certainly quite vulnerable. But he didn’t do anything illegal, or even break any workplace rules. if only he’d been famous I could go to the press? 🤷‍♀️I think this level of opprobrium directed at Wallims is misplaced and my concern is it’s all a bit look over here…and what are we missing out on focusing on whilst thinking about this.

He was an adult, using his status to access and serially groom children under the age of consent (which frankly should vitiate consent, you don’t magically grow out of being manipulated and groomed on your 16th birthday) and his victims (the ones we know of) have suffered trauma and lifelong consequences. How bad do you need it to be?

I’m sorry? Didn’t he lick and suck the breast of a 15 year old child?

what the fuck isn’t so bad about that??????

and what are we missing out on focusing on whilst thinking about this

What are you suggesting? I have seen people saying this about the Brand case too.

He's absolutely fucking repellent. If you think that's 'not that bad' would you be prepared to say that to your children and their peers and your kids teachers in front of the whole school? Or in front of your whole local town?

Thought not.

Genuine question. If your 15 year old daughter said that she was in a car with a 6 foot 2 man in his mid thirties and he kissed her, sucked her breast and tried to make her touch his erect penis, you would honestly say it ‘doesn’t sound that bad’ and isn’t an ‘actual crime’?

If it is not that bad, why has HarperCollins, which has made enormous amounts of money from him, finally ditched him and all potential future revenue from him?

I am so pissed that so many on a parenting website thing that grooming and sexually assualting 15 year old girl children is 'not that bad'

Are you okay?

This is a campaign to make it illegal for significantly older adults to have relationships with 16 and 17 year olds.

https://closetheconsentgap.com/

That’s how Philip Schofield “explained” his relationship with a junior employee.

how PS got off so lightly amazed me then and continues to amaze me. ITV micromanaged the public release of information everyone in the industry already knew.

The only honesty was Joan Collins’ reaction on the sofa — when she was abruptly cut off for registering surprise at the claim of shock because “everyone knew!”