Lilly Creightmore, one of a number of women who have accused David Walliams of grooming them when they were teenagers, was at star-studded charity event with the comedian in 2003
With his arm draped around a teenager’s shoulder, here’s David Walliams at a star-studded event.
In the two-decade old image, the comedian stands close to the young woman who now accuses him of grooming. Talk show host Jonathan Ross and comedy star Ricky Gervais are among celebs in the 2003 snap.
Lilly Creightmore, next to Walliams in the image, is one of a number of women who have accused Walliams of grooming them when they were teenagers. The allegations have been revealed in a joint investigation by ITV News and the Guardian. Walliams, 55, has denied the allegations, including any criminal behaviour. There is no suggestion others pictured in the celeb charity event photo were aware of any alleged wrongdoing.
Shown the image, Lilly reportedly said: “I was really uncomfortable there… Poor baby.” She explained: “The thing that upsets me the most is that I was coming from a vulnerable situation as a young adult… and I think as soon as he got to know me, he saw that, and thought I’d be easy to persuade or be able to manipulate. He was making me feel special, plying me with gifts and then disregarding me when he didn’t get what he wanted.”
Asked what she was accusing Walliams of, she said: “Grooming me. He was pursuing me at a vulnerable age and place in my life for sexual gratification. I didn’t give him that.”
Former model Lilly was reportedly 18 when a then 31-year-old Walliams first contacted her. The then teenager, who had appeared on a TV show Model Behaviour aged 16, got a card from the star at her home.
The card, featuring a black and white photo of a little girl dressed as an angel, read: “When I saw you at the Little Britain recording, I was enraptured. Then when I saw you in Agent Provocateur, I so wanted to speak to you, but amongst all the frilly knickers I couldn’t find the words. I’d love to take you out sometime. I know we’ve never spoken but you seem lovely. David Walliams.”
Lilly, who was reportedly a vulnerable teenager, agreed to meet Walliams. But she said she made it clear she was not romantically interested and they became friends. At one stage, when she had nowhere to live, Walliams was said to have offered her his guest room.
However, she found no spare bed and slept on the sofa. Every night, she said, he would ask her to stay in his bed. “He definitely crossed the line physically in moments, when I was young, trying to coerce me into sleeping with him,” Lilly explained. “He would plead with me to share a bed with him and paw at me, trying to make me feel sorry for him.”
Her refusal to have sex with Walliams sometimes made him angry, she said, and he was rude to her. “When I was staying with him those first few days, it became apparent that I didn’t feel safe there,” Lilly said.
Lilly said she ended up leaving to stay elsewhere. Lilly reportedly stayed in touch with Walliams for five years on-and-off. She said the star offered to help with her career, suggesting he could assist her in getting a BBC job. In 2007, Lilly said Walliams invited her to Australia when he was on a Little Britain tour.
She reportedly said she would go but that she was not interested in anything sexual or romantic occurring. Lilly recalled he “hit the roof”, “flinging insults” at her– accusing her of using him. Lilly said she never had sex with Walliams.
Walliams reportedly said he did not act inappropriately, nor did he “target” her because she was “vulnerable” or “young”. The star reportedly said he believed his friendship with Lilly was a “special one”, denies the offers of help or gifts were attempts to groom, manipulate or coerce her into sleeping with him. Walliams said he feels “devastated” by Lilly’s account.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
