Chris Noth‘s former The Equalizer costar Queen Latifah is speaking out after he was fired late last month.
“It’s still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect,” the Oscar nominee, 51, explained during an interview with People (the TV Show!) on Monday, January 24. “That’s a personal thing that he’s going to have to deal with.”
The New Jersey native noted that The Equalizer is working on adjusting their story lines since Noth, 67, was removed from the CBS series.
“Chris’s character’s obviously a big part of the show and it was amazing chemistry, amazing chemistry. And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?” the “Ladies First” rapper, who plays Robyn McCall, added. ”We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we’re going to deal with that character.”
Noth, who played William Bishop since the show’s debut in 2021, was fired after he was accused of sexual assault by multiple women.
“Chris Noth will no longer film additional episodes of The Equalizer, effective immediately,” Universal Television and CBS confirmed in a joint statement in December 2021.
Earlier that month, two women came forward in an exposé published by The Hollywood Reporter where they recalled their past experiences with Noth. One woman, who used the name Zoe, alleged that the Law & Order alum “rape[d] her from behind” in 2004. A second woman, who went by the name Lily, claimed that Noth assaulted her after they met in 2015.
Noth denied the allegations in a statement to Us Weekly, saying, “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. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.”
Shortly after the profile made headlines, Noth was dropped by his representation at A3 Artists Agency. And Just Like That later removed the Wisconsin native’s cameo from the upcoming finale of the Sex and the City revival series. Noth’s character Mr. Big, who died in the premiere, was set to appear to help his wife Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) find closure in Paris.
Cynthia Nixon recently confirmed that scenes with Noth were cut from the yet to be released episode.
“I think we were very lucky that those changes were able to be made and I think we are very proud of our show,” Nixon, 55, told Entertainment Tonight on January 19, about the HBO Max series’ decision.
The Ratched star previously issued a statement alongside her And Just Like That leads addressing the allegations against Noth.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth,” read a message shared by Nixon, Parker, 56, and Kristen Davis via their Instagram Stories in December 2021. “We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it much be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
