A week of reckoning for British comedy after the imprisonment of Russell Brand and the claims of David Walliams

LONDON (AP) — British actor-comedian Russell brand maybe have been sent to prison for rape and sexual assault, but the wider soul-searching over celebrities getting away with sexual misconduct in the UK is far from over.

A day after Brand’s imprisonment, a second British comedian… David Walliams – made headlines, accused of using his fame and status to prey on young female fans, including teenage girls, for sexual purposes.

Walliams, a children’s author and television personality, had requested a court injunction to prevent two media outlets from publishing the allegations against him. But a judge rejected his application last week, and the Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday published detailed accounts from several women about his alleged misconduct.

Walliams has not been charged by police with any wrongdoing. But news in the same week about the two high-profile comedians – both known in Britain for their edgy comedies, each with hugely popular shows in the 2000s and 2010s – raised questions about why it took so long for their stars to fall, and whether media employers like the BBC played a role in please or protect celebrities predatory behavior.

After Brand’s conviction, police said they were prepared to accommodate many more potential accusers. Government officials said the case shows that the entertainment and media industries need to do much more to protect women from exploitation.

Many now question Brand and Walliams’ popularity as comedians

Allegations against both men have swirled for years, but Brand’s conviction and the publication of the complaints against Walliams have caused many people to look back on their performances and question whether it was boundary-pushing comedy or downright inappropriate.

Brand, 51, was known for his risky stand-up routines and provocative behavior while hosting TV programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.

Over the past decade, he moved to Florida and turned to social media, where he amassed millions of followers with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions about his devotion to Christianity.

Brand has denied accusations from six women that he raped or sexually assaulted them, but a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty last week he attacked four of the six accusers. He was sentenced Monday to 10 and a half years in prison for raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others.

Walliams, 55, became a national star as co-creator of the irreverent 2000s sketch series “Little Britain.” The show was hugely successful at the time and won numerous awards, but has since been widely criticized for its racism and mockery of minority and marginalized groups.

He was also a judge for years on Britain’s Got Talent and is a bestselling children’s book author with millions of sales worldwide.

On Tuesday, ITV News and the Guardian published detailed accounts from several women against Walliams, including one who claimed he sexually assaulted her at his home when she was 15.

Walliams denied the allegations and requested a court injunction to prohibit the media from identifying him in their reports. A judge rejected arguments from his lawyers saying publishing the allegations would lead him to commit suicide.

Old videos are scrutinized in a new light

In light of the revelations about the actors, attention has refocused on some of their past work.

One of them was a 2000s show of “Little Britain”, in which Walliams played a former children’s entertainer and sex offender who touched audience members and pulled down their pants.

In another, a TV clip from around 2006 showed Walliams and Brand joking on a talk show that appearing gay was a “wonderful smokescreen” that “works wonderfully.”

One of Brand’s accusers described in court how she thought he was gay and “very effeminate”, saying that was part of the reason she “felt sexually safe with him” before he raped her.

Another high-profile comedian, Jonathan Ross, said Wednesday he was horrified by the allegations surrounding Walliams and Brand. Ross knew them both well, but said he was “genuinely ignorant of their conduct.”

He made the comments after a 2004 video resurfaced showing him joking about Walliams going home with 15-year-olds at the British Comedy Awards. Ross said he did not suspect it “could refer to real events” and that, in retrospect, it was “a joke in poor taste”.

The BBC announced on Tuesday that it was removing “Little Britain” and other programs starring and written by Walliams from its platforms.

The prospect of new accusations and bigger fallout

After being found guilty, police revealed that Brand was under investigation for at least two other rape allegations.

The Metropolitan Police said detectives were assessing new information after several people contacted each other during and since the conclusion of Brand’s trial.

Metropolitan Police Chief Mark Rowley said last week that officers were preparing for “many, many more” of Brand’s possible victims to come forward.

Hours after Brand’s sentencing, his ex-girlfriend, Jemima Goldsmith, claimed she had her own “personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse.” She said that in 2014 she had to call police to have him kicked out of her home during a “violent incident” but did not press charges because she was worried about the impact of the press attention on her children.

Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said the allegations against Walliams “are the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in an industry where we have known for so long that the power imbalances are enormous”.

She said officials were summoning media and entertainment executives to urge them to put in place stricter policies to protect women who want to make allegations against celebrities.

Although Brand’s offenses took place years ago, Nandy told Sky News on Sunday that the environment at media companies had not improved.

“I don’t see what’s changed over the years,” she said.