Chris Noth has been fired from The Equalizer after sexual assault allegations were made against him. The actor, who was a series regular on the show playing William Bishop opposite star Queen Latifah, will “no longer film additional episodes of The Equalizer, effective immediately” is the statement given to HollywoodLife by Universal Television and CBS. We’re told that the drama series, which aired seven episodes of its second season and is currently on hiatus, will feature Chris in one original upcoming episode.
The Hollywood Reporter originally reported the incidents alleged by two woman (using pseudonyms to protect their privacy) — Zoe, now 40, and Lily, now 31. The women do not know each other and did not speak before separately making their allegations to the publication. They claimed their respective alleged incidents with Chris took place in Los Angeles in 2004 and New York in 2015, respectively. Chris has been appearing in headlines again for the last few weeks due to reprising his Sex and the City role for And Just Like That…, and the women said this has “stirred painful memories” for them, according to THR.
Zoe claimed that Chris exhibited inappropriate behavior with her while she was working an entry-level job in L.A. in 2004. “He would walk by my desk and flirt with me,” she alleged, adding that he “somehow” got her phone number from the directory and began leaving her messages on her work phone. Zoe alleged that Chris invited her to hang out at the pool at his West Hollywood apartment and kissed her. She kissed him back, however things took a turn when Chris allegedly “pulled her toward him, moved her toward the bed, pulled off her shorts and bikini bottom and began to rape her from behind.” She insists she yelled at him to “stop,” but claims that he would not.
Chris then responded to allegations on Dec. 16. “The accusations made against me by individuals I met years, even decades ago, are categorically false,” Chris says in a statement to HollywoodLife. “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 encounters were consensual. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.”