UK actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 20 women, has dropped his proposed legal case of defamation against Bafta.
Clarke had filed a lawsuit at the High Court in London against Bafta, the Guardian Media Group (GMG), which first reported the allegations, and GQ magazine owner Condé Nast, which ran an interview with the two journalists who broke the story, among others, in April, a year to the day after the accusations were first published.
The proposed lawsuits have now all been dropped, except for the one against GMG.
The case against Bafta was based on a letter emailed by Bafta chair Krishnendu Majumdar and former CEO Amanda Berry to Bafta members in April 2021. It referenced why the organisation was suspending both the award Clarke had recently been presented with for outstanding contribution to British cinema at the 2021 film awards and Clarke’s membership of the organisation in light of The Guardian allegations.
“We note that Noel Clarke has dropped his legal action against Bafta,” said a Bafta spokesperson today. ”The serious misconduct alleged in first-hand testimonies and published in The Guardian newspaper is contrary to the standards expected of a Bafta member and the values we uphold as an arts charity and Academy. We stand by our decision to suspend his honorary award and membership as soon as the detailed allegations came to light.”
Clarke whose credits include Brotherhood, Adulthood and Bulletproof, was accused of groping and sexual misconduct between 2004 and 2019 by 20 women who had worked with him. He has denied all the allegations.
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