Chris Noth, the actor best known for playing Mr Big in the HBO series Sex and the City, has given his first interview since sexual assault accusations against him were made public in December 2021.
Speaking to USA Today on Tuesday 8 August, Noth again admitted adultery but denied the allegations made by two women about separate incidents they say took place in 2004 and 2015.
“I strayed on my wife, and it’s devastating to her and not a very pretty picture,” he told the publication. “What it isn’t is a crime.”
The actor added: “You give yourself the same excuses that many men do; it’s just a little side dance, and it’s fun. 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.’”
The women, who did not know each other at the time, came forward after Noth promoted the Sex and the City sequel, And Just Like That, in which his character died at the end of the first episode.
While no criminal charges have been filed, Noth discussed the possibility of civil lawsuits, calling it a “money train for a lot of people”.
“There’s nothing I can say to change anyone’s mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave,” he said. “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 added: “There’s even more absurd add-ons that are completely ridiculous, that have absolutely no basis in fact. And I don’t like talking about it because as soon as I do, you’ll get the Daily Mail or someone grabbing a part of it and doing it, and I don’t want my kids seeing that.”
At the time of the allegations, Noth vehemently denied them in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, calling the claims “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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Another three women later came forward, saying he had also assaulted them. But Noth has said any sexual encounters have been “consensual”.
Noth’s former co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis released a joint statement, saying: “We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth. We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it.”
Universal Television and CBS also made a joint announcement, confirming that Noth – who played a former CIA director on their show The Equalizer – would no longer be part of filming “effective immediately”.