Noel Clarke drops legal action against Bafta
Noel Clarke has decided to abandon legal action against BAFTA, who have stood by their decision to suspend his membership. The actor filed a defamation lawsuit against the British Academy in May 2022 after it suspended his membership and took back an honourary award. This came after Clarke was accused of sexual harassment and bullying by 20 women. Clarke has strongly denied any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing in the past.
Clarke was given four months to confirm whether he would be proceeding with the legal battle after it was filed in May. Now, the Academy has revealed that the lawsuit has been dropped.
A BAFTA spokesperson broke the news: “We note that Noel Clarke has dropped his legal action against BAFTA. The serious misconduct alleged in first-hand testimonies and published in The Guardian newspaper is contrary to the standards expected of a BAFTA member and the values we uphold as an arts charity and Academy. We stand by our decision to suspend his honorary award and membership as soon as the detailed allegations came to light.”
However, it is rumoured that Clarke intends to pursue legal action against The Guardian newspaper. In March, London’s MET revealed that Clarke would not be subject to a criminal investigation into the various allegations levelled against him. A statement issued by the police force read: “Following a thorough assessment by specialist detectives it was determined the information would not meet the threshold for a criminal investigation.”
Shortly after The Guardian’s report was published last April, Clarke came forward to deny all allegations except one: that he had once made inappropriate comments about a woman he was working with, for which he apologised.
In a statement, Clarke said: “Recent reports however have made it clear to me that some of my actions have affected people in ways I did not intend or realise. To those individuals, I am deeply sorry. I will be seeking professional help to educate myself and change for the better.”
The finale of Clarke’s TV series Viewpoint was subsequently pulled. Sky has also suspended the production of Bulletproof until further notice.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. US readers should visit RAINN.
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