Why are so many celebrities staying silent about David Walliams and Russell Brand?

Matt Lucas, one of David Walliams’ longtime friends, has not publicly spoken out since the allegations against the comedian (Picture: Rex Features) There are many questions in the fallout of the David Walliams and Russell Brand sexual misconduct scandals this week.

But one that is gathering significant momentum is around the deafening silence from some of the famous names closest to them.

This week, Brand, 51, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault, while Walliams, 55, was named as the celebrity trying to obtain an injunction against allegations that he groomed girls as young as 15, claims which he has denied.

Comedian Lucy Beaumont emerged as a beacon of light in a dark story when she revealed herself as one of the whistleblowers in The Guardian and ITN’s report about Walliams. She provided a safe space for ‘a young person’ who came forward with her allegations, and has since been vocal about the consent issues in the UK.

Fellow comic Nish Kumar has also used his platform this week to highlight the ‘problem in entertainment and comedy with misogyny’, and said that there is a ‘cultural issue that protects these men’.

And Kathrine Ryan, who has been vocal about an unnamed ‘predator’ in the industry, praised the bravery of the women who came forward about Brand, resulting in his conviction.

However, other high-profile figures who were in Brand and Walliams’ inner circles for decades have been noticeably silent.

It’s not gone unnoticed that the celebrities speaking out are predominantly women, with the lack of men calling out other men continuing to be a problematic theme in showbiz.

Matt Lucas, who was Walliams’ Little Britain sidekick, is yet to address the allegations against his longtime collaborator, while Noel Fielding – once one of Brand’s close friends – is also yet to speak out about the comedian’s conviction.

Neither Lucas nor Fielding are accused of sexual misconduct themselves, but their mere association with both men has led to calls for public acknowledgement of this week’s events.

Jonathan Ross was friends with both Brand and Walliams, and released a statement denying any knowledge of the alleged sexual misconduct. He himself has faced criticism for a resurfaced video from an awards show, in which he joked on stage about Walliams going home with 15-year-olds.

Ross, 65, claimed that he didn’t write the joke, but criticism was still levied at him for saying it in the first place.

With a scandal growing new developments by the day, it’s a wonder if any celebrities will put themselves under the spotlight by speaking out.

But is that the best move for their reputation?

‘When the narrative doesn’t suit, celebrities distance themselves… and that I find really distasteful,’ Paul MacKenzie Cummins, reputation management and personal branding at Clearly PR, told Metro.

‘There is, without a doubt, more men who need to speak out on the issues in general. It’s frustratingly low and I find that really difficult to comprehend. It should be other men standing up to call them out and calling out bad behaviour.’

Paul did acknowledge that from a reputation standpoint, he understands why those celebrities who were closest to Walliams and Brand have chosen to stay silent so far in the immediate aftermath.

He said: ‘With David Walliams, there’s nothing legal as yet but there will invariably be pressure on people, particularly his Little Britain co-star Matt Lucas, to come out and say something.’

‘You’re almost opening yourself up to a situation where you’re making yourself compelled to talk about someone else’s behaviour… but actually, that doesn’t end after you issue a statement,’ Paul continued.

‘That’s only the beginning of the process because what will then happen is the media and public will start asking questions like, what did you know? That then becomes a slight on their reputation,’ he added.

TV personality Ross received backlash for his statement, which many argued did not go far enough in addressing his own joke in 2004 about Walliams going home with 15-year-olds.

Paul called out what he says is a lack of humanity in Ross’ words.

‘It was very lawyered and not human and that has created the backlash,’ he said. ‘It’s been very carefully constructed. He was right to address it but he didn’t have a choice.

‘He’s dropped a major PR boo-boo by failing to do the one thing that he was supposed to do, and that’s take accountability for what you say and what you do and on that front he’s failed significantly.’

It’s been nearly a full week of this media storm and, with barely any acknowledgement from those in Brand and Walliams’ orbits speaking out, it seems many in the public eye are burying their heads and perhaps biding their time, waiting for this to blow over.

‘Sometimes the best reputation strategy is knowing when not to speak,’ Paul said.

‘However, if they’ve got nothing to hide, if the relationship was a purely professional one and they had no inkling whatsoever of the issues taking place, then why not? Say “yeah, I worked with this person, didn’t have an inkling or any indication at all as to what they were doing but it’s wrong”.’

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Time can only tell who will address the wider issue, and when.

If you have been the victim of rape, either recently or historically, and are looking for help, support is out there.

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Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.

Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.