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British actor-comedian Russell Brand may have been sent to prison for rape and sexual assault, but the wider soul-searching over celebrities getting away with sexual misconduct in the U.K. is far from over.
A day after Brand was jailed, a second British comedian — David Walliams — was in the headlines, accused of using his fame and status to prey on young female fans, including teens, for sex.
Walliams, a feted children's author and TV personality, had sought a court injunction to block two news organizations from publishing the allegations against him. But a judge dismissed his bid last week, and the Guardian and ITN — the main news provider for ITV's news programming — on Tuesday published detailed accounts from multiple women about his alleged misconduct.
Walliams has not been charged by police with wrongdoing. But the news within the same week about the two prominent comedians — both household names in Britain known for edgy comedy, each with hugely popular shows in the 2000s and 2010s — has prompted questions about why it took so long for their stars to fall, and whether media employers like the BBC played a role in indulging or shielding celebrities' predatory behavior.
