Noel Clarke has spoken out following allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing,” he said in a statement to the the PA news agency. “Recent reports however have made it clear to me that some of my actions have affected people in ways I did not intend or realize. To those individuals, I am deeply sorry. I will be seeking professional help to educate myself and change for the better.”
The statement comes after The Guardian spoke with 20 women who have worked with Clarke in a professional setting, all of whom have made a number of allegations against the “Bulletproof” actor. They include: sexual harassment, unwanted touching or groping, sexually inappropriate behaviour and comments on set, professional misconduct, taking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent, and bullying between 2004 and 2019.
Through his legal team and a 29-page letter sent to the paper, Clarke has vehemently denied all but one of the allegations published by the outlet. He has admitted to repeatedly making inappropriate comments about one woman’s body, Helen Atherton, and later apologizing.
The fallout from the story was immediate and has resulted in several repercussions for the actor.
The actor’s representatives at Industry Entertainment told Variety that “it will no longer be representing Noel, and BAFTA suspended Clarke’s membership until further notice and withdrew his Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award that he was presented in March. BAFTA has said it was unaware of any of the allegations made against Clarke before naming him as the recipient.
Sky halted Clarke’s involvement in any future productions effective immediately. “Sky stands against all forms of sexual harassment and bullying and takes any allegations of this nature extremely seriously,” a spokesperson told Variety.