A Metro columnist has called for urgent reform of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and injunctions used by celebrities, arguing they are designed to silence women and protect powerful men. The column follows the jailing of Russell Brand and allegations of grooming against David Walliams, who denies the claims and has not been charged.
Bravery of women highlighted
The columnist praised the courage of women who brought the cases to light, noting that both investigations took years and faced significant obstacles. He said it should not require such bravery to raise concerns against the powerful, and it should not always be women who stand up to men.
He pointed to the silence of other men in the entertainment industry as distressing, and said everyone should call out such behaviour. In the cases of Walliams and Brand, NDAs and injunctions have been used to silence women while the men continued their careers, which he said is their sole purpose and design.
Whistleblower Lucy Beaumont
On Tuesday, comedian Lucy Beaumont came forward as a whistleblower on Walliams' alleged behaviour. She said she was approached by a colleague who claimed to have been ordered to bring young women to the Little Britain star's dressing room. Beaumont offered to pay the colleague's legal fees should they pursue a case, and said she was adamant her television work would disappear as a result. It hasn't, and she has instead seen record book sales and sold-out tour tickets.
The columnist noted that male comics like the late Sean Lock have called out Brand and Walliams in the past, but it is women who have put their careers on the line. He said there is something inherently wrong when a complainant of sexual assault becomes powerless to speak the truth because the system protects abusers first.
Call for legal reform
He argued that legal teams who drew up injunctions and NDAs knowing they might protect a predator must also be examined. The columnist said there is direct action to be had: to club together and change the law that allows men to abuse power and women to stay silent.
He referenced a recent Daily Mail investigation reporting more than 100 applications for injunctions since 2016, suggesting more public figures could be hiding behind the law. At the time of writing, another injunction has sparked speculation about an unnamed celebrity silencing claims.
