Sex and the City star Chris Noth has been accused of sexual assault by two women just one week after he reprised his role of Mr. Big on the HBO Max reboot. Noth is best known for appearing on television shows like Law & Order and The Good Wife; he was one of the original stars of the latter series, playing Detective Mike Logan across 5 seasons. He later made the jump to the spin-off Law & Order: Criminal Intent. For many years, Noth's biggest role has been that of Mr. Big, Carrie Bradshaw's on-and-off love interest in the Sex and the City franchise.
After appearing in the main series and its two big screen ventures, Noth returned to play Big for HBO Max's reboot, And Just Like That.... His return alongside Sarah Jessica Parker received considerable hype in the lead-up to the series premiere, which made his fate even more shocking. In the first episode of And Just Like That..., Big dies after suffering a heart attack. The news was greeted with a great deal of press in the days following, and Noth received even more attention after he appeared in a Peloton ad poking fun at Big's demise.
Due to Noth's increased public presence, two women have come forward accusing the actor of sexual assault. Speaking to THR under pseudonyms, the women - Zoe and Lily - said that the promotion and release of And Just Like That... stirred up memories of their individual traumas and prompted them to speak out. In 2004, Zoe was working an entry-level job in LA when she first met Noth; he would come into the firm where she worked regularly to conduct business. Noth showed her a great deal of interest and invited her to his apartment multiple times. On one such occasion, he kissed Zoe, then pulled her into his apartment and raped her. Afterwards, friends and co-workers said Zoe displayed signs of being traumatized, but was hesitant to come forward. "I was 25 at the time," she said. "It was a lot. I didn’t know what to do."
Lily was working at a nightclub in New York when she met Noth in 2015. She was 25 at the time and admitted she was initially flattered by his interest despite him being 60. Noth asked Lily out to dinner despite being married and even brought her to a restaurant featured in Sex and the City. Afterwards, they returned to his apartment, and Lily said they began kissing. Though Lily tried to remind Noth he was married, he called marriage a sham and sexually assaulted her. The memory is painful for her, but she added that it was freeing to tell her story.
In a statement released to THR, Noth denied these allegations, describing them as "categorically false." He also said he found it difficult not to question the timing of the claims, referencing the much-hyped arrival of And Just Like That.... As these allegations have only just come to light, it remains to be seen what will come of them. It isn't quite clear if Big will make any posthumous appearances on And Just Like That..., but hearing these stories, it might be best if Carrie moves on sooner rather than later.
Source: THR