Noel Clarke’s ‘Bulletproof’ Co-Star Ashley Walters Speaks Out on Misconduct Allegations

Manori Ravindran
·2 min read
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British actor Noel Clarke’s “Bulletproof” co-star Ashley Walters (pictured, left) has spoken out following explosive sexual misconduct and harassment allegations against his long-time friend and colleague.

“My thoughts are with the women who have come forward and told their awful stories. I’m in shock and deeply saddened by what I have heard on a multitude of levels,” said “Top Boy” star Walters in a statement shared to social media on Friday afternoon.

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“I could never condone behaviour of this nature neither in nor out of the workplace, and whilst Noel has been a friend and colleague for several years, I cannot stand by and ignore these allegations. Sexual harassment, abuse and bullying have no place in our industry. Every woman has the right to a safe workplace and moving forward I pledge my dedication to this.”

Walters, one of the U.K.’s top actors, has a decades-long friendship with Clarke, and has worked alongside him on “Bulletproof” for three seasons. The pair are currently in the works on season 4 of the show, but Sky confirmed on Friday that it has stopped production.

“Sky stands against all forms of sexual harassment and bullying and takes any allegations of this nature extremely seriously,” a spokesperson told Variety. “Effective immediately, we have halted Noel Clarke’s involvement in any future Sky productions.”

The Guardian unveiled extensive allegations against the actor in an investigation published April 29. The outlet spoke with 20 women who have worked with Clarke in a professional setting, all of whom have made a number of allegations against him. They include: sexual harassment, unwanted touching or groping, sexually inappropriate behaviour and comments on set, professional misconduct, taking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent, and bullying between 2004 and 2019.

Clarke has, through his lawyers, denied all the allegations made by the 20 women, except for one allegation. He has admitted to once making inappropriate comments about one woman, and later apologizing.

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