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David Walliams’ High Court bid to block publication of allegations has been dismissed. Photo / Getty Images
Hermes furniture apparently belonging to David Walliams was auctioned in the weeks before allegations against him were made public, the Telegraph can reveal.
The comedian and children’s author, who tried to use an injunction to prevent the media from publishing the accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage fans and young
women, is understood to have sold items worth more than £100,000 ($238.5k) through a Fulham auction house.
Although Lots Road Auctions did not identify the owner of the “private collection of Hermès furniture” that went under the hammer on October 12 and 13, several items bore a striking resemblance to those photographed inside Walliams’ Regent’s Park townhouse.
They included two saddle-stitched Hermes leather sofas, pictured opposite each other in his drawing room, which sold for £14,500 ($35,000) and £21,500.
A pair of floor lamps, two marble and walnut coffee tables, a throw and two sets of cushions, all pictured in the same room, sold for £14,500, £5800, £550, £280, and £360 respectively.
While most of the items auctioned were from the Paris-based luxury goods company founded by Thierry Hermès, the listing also included an Art Deco-inspired Asprey Ritz-Carlton cocktail trolley, photographed next to Walliams’ fireplace, which sold for £11,000.
Upstairs, an oak and leather bench from the master bedroom fetched £6800, a patterned folding screen sold for £3600 and an armchair, all from Hermès, made £9200.
In total, 17 lots of furniture and furnishings, fetching a combined £109,570, all appeared to match items photographed in Walliams’ £10.5m London home.
The auction took place weeks before Walliams, 55, lost his High Court bid to prevent ITV News and the Guardian from publishing allegations of sexual misconduct involving the celebrity author and teenage fans and young women.
Walliams first faced questions about his behaviour after a Telegraph investigation revealed that he had been accused of “harassing” junior employees at his publisher.
The Telegraph reported last year that Walliams had been investigated by HarperCollins after a junior employee complained about his behaviour. It led to him being dropped by the publishing house.
The auction also coincided with a £1.45m reduction in the asking price of his London townhouse, from £11.95m to £10.5m.
The house, overlooking Regent’s Park, was first put on the market in June.
It is not known whether a buyer has been found. However, a Land Registry application lodged last week by a boutique law firm representing high-net-worth clients suggests an update to the property’s title is pending.
Lots Road was set to hold a second auction on November 16 and 17, featuring what it describes as the “second instalment” of the private Hermès collection. The Telegraph has contacted Walliams’ lawyers and the auction house for comment.
On Tuesday, the Guardian and ITV News published allegations dating back to 2003 that Walliams had used his celebrity status to pursue teenage girls and young women for sex.
One woman, identified only as Jade, alleged that Walliams sexually assaulted her when she was 15. She claimed that after meeting him in Soho, he kissed her in an alleyway before driving her to his house and allegedly sexually assaulting her there.
Another woman, identified as Alex, said she met Walliams at a Little Britain fan event when she was 15 and began having sex with him at 17.
Walliams, 55, strongly denied that he had any sexual contact with Jade, adding that he rejected any allegations of criminal activity and insisted that he had never engaged in the grooming of young women.
The comedian, who also denies all allegations of wrongdoing, acknowledged having sex with Alex but said he thought she was 18.
His lawyers had sought a High Court injunction to prevent the claims from being published, arguing that the allegations posed a serious risk to his life because he might try to take his own life.
Justice Nicklin dismissed the application on November 3, ruling that a permanent injunction would represent an “exceptionally serious” restriction on freedom of expression. He stressed that the court had not determined whether any of the allegations were true.
Scotland Yard said it had contacted the Guardian and ITV News to make sure potential victims knew how to report allegations to police.
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