Queen Latifahis speaking out aboutChris Noth’sdismissal fromThe Equalizerafter a series of sexual assault allegations against him surfaced last month.
After the allegations were made public, CBS released astatementon Dec. 20 confirming that Noth, 67, had been removed from the series, which he starred in alongside Latifah. “Chris Noth will no longer film additional episodes ofThe Equalizer, effective immediately,” the statement said at the time.
“It’s still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect,” she said, adding, “That’s a personal thing that he’s going to have to deal with.”
As for how his character is being written off, the actress and singer said, “We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we’re going to deal with that character.”
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
“Chris’s character’s obviously a big part of the show and it was amazing chemistry, amazing chemistry,” Latifah continued. “And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?”
The allegations against Noth first surfaced in a Dec. 16 article inThe Hollywood Reporter,in which two women accused him of sexually assaulting them. According to one woman, who spoke under the pseudonym Zoe, Noth allegedly raped her in a Los Angeles apartment in 2004. She claimed they met at a high-profile firm in L.A. with ties to celebrities like Noth.
Another woman, using the pseudonym Lily, claimed Noth invited her to his New York City apartment in 2015 after they had dinner and drinks. Lily, who was 25 at the time, said she metThe Good Wifealum while working as a server at a local nightclub.
Chris Noth in The Equalizer.Barbara Nitke/CBS via Getty
After Ava’s account, Noth’s publicist denied the allegations in a statementto PEOPLE, but at the time of Gentile’s claims, a rep for Noth did not have a comment.
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The allegations came shortly after Noth appeared in HBO Max’sSex and the Cityreboot,And Just Like That…. His return to the franchise was short-lived, though, as his character, John James “Mr. Big” Preston, died in the premiere episode.
Parker and her costars,Cynthia NixonandKristin Davis, previouslyissued a joint statementregarding Noth.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth,” the statementshared on social mediaread. “We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
