Chris Noth Calls Sexual Assault Allegations 'Completely Ridiculous,' Admits He 'Strayed' on His Wife
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The actor stood by his initial statement, claiming that the accusations had "no basis in fact" but "there's nothing I can say to change anyone's mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave"
Chris Noth is addressing the multiple sexual assault allegations brought against him more than a year later.
In his first interview since the December 2021 accusations, the 68-year-old Sex and the City alum maintained that his only transgression was cheating on his wife, Tara Wilson. Noth denied the other allegations, calling what he termed the "add-ons" to the women's stories "completely ridiculous" with "absolutely no basis in fact."
"I strayed on my wife, and it's devastating to her and not a very pretty picture," he claimed while speaking to USA Today. "What it isn't is a crime."
Noth explained that he stood by his initial statement denying the allegations, saying that while the sexual encounters were consensual, his adultery was wrong.
"You give yourself the same excuses that many men do; it's just a little side dance, and it's fun," Noth said. "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.'"
A rep for Noth did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Back in December 2021, several women came forward with sexual assault allegations against the actor following the premiere of Max’s revival series And Just Like That... In the wake of the accusations, the series’ stars — Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — released a joint statement in support of the women who came forward.
"We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth," the statement read. "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."
Following the news, Noth was cut from the season 1 finale of And Just Like That... as well as future episodes of CBS’ The Equalizer. He also lost a $12 million deal for his tequila brand, Ambhar, was pulled from a Peloton ad he appeared in, and parted ways with his talent agency.
More than a year later, the actor — who is now partnering with bespoke suit company Samuelsohn to launch an awareness campaign about men’s mental health — claims that “there's nothing I can say to change anyone's mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave.”
"It sounds defensive,” he said. “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.”
“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," continued the actor, who shares two sons, Orion, 15, and Keats, 3, with Wilson.
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Despite the public fallout, Noth insisted, "I'm not going to lay down and just say it's 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," he told USA Today. "I'm an actor. I have other things that I want to do creatively. And I have children to support. 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."
"People are afraid of all this. Fear is the overriding operative word when it comes to whether they believe it or not," he added. "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, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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