In December 2021, Sex and the City actor Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault by two women. Shortly thereafter, the sexual misconduct allegations doubled, with additional accusers — including actor/writer Zoe Lister-Jones, who called Noth a "sexual predator" — empowered to come forward.
The actor has now broken his silence with his first interview since the "ridiculous" accusations were lobbed against him, admitting to USA Today that he had been unfaithful to his wife Tara Wilson, but emphasized that there's nothing criminal about infidelity.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
"I strayed on my wife, and it's devastating to her and not a very pretty picture. What it isn't is a crime," Noth told the publication, claiming that all of the encounters were consensual. "There's nothing I can say to change anyone's mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave. It sounds defensive. I'm not."
He doubled down, "There's no criminal court. There's no criminal trial. There's nothing for me to get on the stand about and get my story out, get witnesses. And there's even more absurd add-ons that are completely ridiculous, that have absolutely no basis in fact." The actor added that he refused to "lay down and just say it's over," calling the potential for civil lawsuits a "money train for a lot of people."
"It's a salacious story, but it's just not a true one," he continued. "And I can't just say, 'Well, okay, that's it for me,' because of that ... I have enough to let a year drift, but I don't know how to gauge or judge getting back into the club, the business, because corporations are frightened."
Noth then steered the topic of conversation away from the potential criminality of the allegations, in the wake of which he was dropped from his CBS show The Equalizer, his former talent agency and edited out of the And Just Like That... season finale, and went back to underscore the fact that he had cheated on his wife (with whom he shares two children).
"You give yourself the same excuses that many men do; it's just a little side dance, and it's fun," he explained of his thought process. "You're not hurting anybody. No one's going to know about this, you know, and sex is just enjoyable. And suddenly, a lot of people want to have sex with you. It's like, 'Well, I'm not going to get this chance again.'"
Noth's first two accusers came forward with alleged incidents of sexual assault dating back to 2004 and 2015, respectively, under the pseudonyms Zoe and Lily. After that, Lister-Jones spoke out about the actor's "inappropriate behaviour" when she had worked at the club he owned and guest-starred on Law and Order. Singer Lisa Gentile then accused Noth of another alleged sexual assault in the year 2002, while Sex and the City stand-in Heather Kristin detailed "toxic" on-set experiences with him.
The actor has now broken his silence with his first interview since the "ridiculous" accusations were lobbed against him, admitting to USA Today that he had been unfaithful to his wife Tara Wilson, but emphasized that there's nothing criminal about infidelity.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
"I strayed on my wife, and it's devastating to her and not a very pretty picture. What it isn't is a crime," Noth told the publication, claiming that all of the encounters were consensual. "There's nothing I can say to change anyone's mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave. It sounds defensive. I'm not."
He doubled down, "There's no criminal court. There's no criminal trial. There's nothing for me to get on the stand about and get my story out, get witnesses. And there's even more absurd add-ons that are completely ridiculous, that have absolutely no basis in fact." The actor added that he refused to "lay down and just say it's over," calling the potential for civil lawsuits a "money train for a lot of people."
"It's a salacious story, but it's just not a true one," he continued. "And I can't just say, 'Well, okay, that's it for me,' because of that ... I have enough to let a year drift, but I don't know how to gauge or judge getting back into the club, the business, because corporations are frightened."
Noth then steered the topic of conversation away from the potential criminality of the allegations, in the wake of which he was dropped from his CBS show The Equalizer, his former talent agency and edited out of the And Just Like That... season finale, and went back to underscore the fact that he had cheated on his wife (with whom he shares two children).
"You give yourself the same excuses that many men do; it's just a little side dance, and it's fun," he explained of his thought process. "You're not hurting anybody. No one's going to know about this, you know, and sex is just enjoyable. And suddenly, a lot of people want to have sex with you. It's like, 'Well, I'm not going to get this chance again.'"
Noth's first two accusers came forward with alleged incidents of sexual assault dating back to 2004 and 2015, respectively, under the pseudonyms Zoe and Lily. After that, Lister-Jones spoke out about the actor's "inappropriate behaviour" when she had worked at the club he owned and guest-starred on Law and Order. Singer Lisa Gentile then accused Noth of another alleged sexual assault in the year 2002, while Sex and the City stand-in Heather Kristin detailed "toxic" on-set experiences with him.
