Queen Latifah has spoken out about Chris Noth's dismissal from The Equalizer following a series of sexual assault allegations against him last month.
Noth starred in The Equalizer as William Bishop, an ex-CIA director and longtime friend of Robyn (played by Latifah), but his role in the show was jeopardized by sexual assault allegations that surfaced after the premiere of And Just Like That..., in which he appeared.
Chris Noth's Alleged Sexual Misconduct
On Dec. 16, two women came forward to say that the Sex and the City revival had brought up memories of their own personal experiences and traumas, and that they felt compelled to speak out.
In an interview with People (The TV Show!), Latifah shared her thoughts about Noth’s removal from the show. She says that it is "surreal" and notes the delicacy of the situation, adding that it "requires a great deal of respect."
"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."
“And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?"
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."
Noth Denies Sexual Allegations
The actor has since denied the allegations, but it was reported that Noth had been dismissed from The Equalizer and would not be seen in any future seasons.
In addition to Noth's departure from The Equalizer, a Peloton advertisement in which he appeared was withdrawn, and his agent, A3 Artists, dropped him. In the final scene of And Just Like That..., Noth makes a cameo appearance. He was also cut, with HBO saying that his presence was not required for a specific scene.
He has stood ground that the charges are false and has questioned the timing of their reporting, but as more women have come forward, Noth has remained distant from any and all projects in which he is involved.
The second season of The Equalizer is currently on hiatus, but it will be interesting to watch how the show handles Noth's absence and how it affects the story when it returns.