Chris Noth assault aftermath: Agency drops actor, ad taken down
What's the story
On Thursday, allegations of sexual misconduct were published against popular actor Chris Noth in a report by The Hollywood Reporter (THR). Two women had accused the Sex and the City star of rape in separate admissions to the portal. Following this, the 67-year-old denied the allegations. Separately, he was dropped by his talent agency, and also a viral advertisement, starring him, was taken down.
Information
Trigger warning to be noted
Before reading ahead, please note that the report contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault accounts. Please read at your own discretion.
Context
Why does it matter?
Two women, referred to as Zoe and Lily to protect their identities, approached THR separately, months apart, to recall their incidents of assault that happened over a decade apart. They said news of Noth's participation in the celebrated SATC spin-off And Just Like That... "stirred painful memories of incidents." Noth plays Mr. Big [Carrie Bradshaw's love interest] in the show and its spin-off.
Accusations
These were allegations made against the actor
Zoe (40) met Noth when she was 22. Noth used to leave flirtatious messages at her office, a claim verified by THR from her [then] boss. After hanging out in a group, Zoe went to his apartment to return his book where Noth "began to rape her from behind." Lily (31) was 25 when 60-year-old Noth pursued her before allegedly raping her in 2015.
Statement
'Encounters were consensual': 'Law and Order' star denied allegations
Soon after the allegations went live, Noth sent out a statement. "The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could've been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross." The Law and Order actor noted the "encounters were consensual."
Consequences
Actress said Noth was 'sexual predator,' Peloton removed his ad
A day after THR's article was published, actress Zoe Lister-Jones called Noth a "sexual predator," recalling her experience in a lengthy Instagram post. While sharing the screen on Law and Order, Lister-Jones said Noth was drunk on set and allegedly "sniffed [her] neck" at one point. Meanwhile, Peloton, the firm behind Noth's viral commercial, has taken it down from all its social media accounts.
Do you know?
Ryan Reynolds removed all traces of association with Noth online
Notably, the ad mocked Mr. Big's death in the SATC reboot. Actor Ryan Reynolds, whose marketing company produced the ad, has also deleted the commercial. He was also dropped by the A3 Artists Agency. Meanwhile, And Just Like That... is currently streaming on HBO Max.