LONDON, U.K.: After being dropped by publisher HarperCollins, well-known British children's author and comedian David Walliams has denied allegations of inappropriate behavior against female staff.

Walliams, 54, is one of the U.K.'s bestselling children's book authors and a former judge on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent."

In a statement late last week, the publishing house said, "After careful consideration and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision."

A spokesperson for Walliams said in a statement that he "has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins."

"He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice," the statement said.

The publisher said it would not comment on internal matters, "to respect the privacy of individuals."

However, it was reliably learned that in 2024, HarperCollins had received a complaint from a junior employee and opened an internal inquiry into Walliams' conduct. During the probe, the author was allegedly kept away from some junior staff, while one employee is said to have left the business with a five-figure payout.

"HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns," it said.

The B.B.C. also announced it had "no future projects directly involving David Walliams" amid claims he "harassed" junior female staff at the publishing house.

Walliams has published over 40 children's books and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide, according to his website. Several of them, including "Gangsta Granny," have been adapted into BBC comedy dramas and stage productions.

In 2022, as a judge on "Britain's Got Talent", Walliams had made "disrespectful comments" about auditioning contestants. He quit after apologizing for his behavior.