Chris Noth Says Infidelity Isn't a 'Crime' After Sexual Assault Allegations
Chris Noth broke his silence about being accused of sexual assault by multiple women — and discussed where his career goes from here.
“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, 68, told USA Today on Monday, August 7. “There’s nothing I can say to change anyone’s mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave.”
The actor’s rare statement comes nearly two years after several women accused Noth of sexual assault. In a December 2021 article published by The Hollywood Reporter, one woman alleged that Noth “rape[d] her from behind” in 2004. Another woman, who went by the alias Lily, claimed that she was assaulted by Noth in his New York City apartment after meeting in 2015.
Noth, who has been married to Tara Wilson since 2012, denied the allegations in a statement to Us Weekly, claiming, “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. 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.”
Chris Noth Accused of Sexual Assault by Multiple Women: Everything to Know
While reflecting on the scandal that caused him to get fired from The Equalizer, Noth maintained his innocence. (He also filmed a cameo for the season 1 finale of Max’s And Just Like That, which was cut in the wake of the allegations.)
“It sounds defensive. I’m not. 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,” he continued on Monday. “And there’s even more absurd add-ons that are completely ridiculous, that have absolutely no basis in fact.”
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According to the outlet, Noth is currently directing and starring in Eugene Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros at a theater in Massachusetts. Noth said he plans to step back into the spotlight in order to support his family.
“I’m not going to lay down and just say [my career is] over. It’s a salacious story, but it’s just not a true one. And I can’t just say ‘Well, OK, that’s it for me’ because of that. I’m an actor. I have other things that I want to do creatively. And I have children to support,” Noth, who shares sons Orion, 15, and Keats, 3, with Wilson, 41, explained. “I can’t just rest on my laurels. So yeah, 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.”
Chris Noth and Wife Tara Wilson's Relationship Timeline
He continued: “I have to just continue on. It’s rough, because people are scared, and their fear leads them. And I have to just persevere because I still have a creative life.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
