'Doctor Who' Actor Drops Libel Claims Following Allegations Of Sexual Harassment

Actor and director Noel Clarke has dropped his libel claims against BAFTA, Conde Nast, and The Guardian after the publications reported on at least 20 allegations of harassment and bullying made against him.

Clarke was first accused of sexual harassment in April 2021. At the time, The Guardian reported on a number of alleged incidents from 20 women who worked with Clarke between 2004 and 2019. The claims came shortly after Clarke had accepted a BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema.

BAFTA quickly revoked the actor’s membership and the drama miniseries Viewpoint, in which Clarke starred as DC Martin King, was pulled from ITV. Accordingly, the actor launched libel claims against the three aforementioned entities. There were 12 defendants in total, including journalists Lucy Osborne, Sirin Kale, and actress Jahannah James who had accused Clarke of filming her naked.

In March 2022, UK police confirmed that they’d dropped their investigation against the actor due to a lack of evidence. Further investigations weren’t ruled out though if new evidence came to light. Now, it appears that Clarke has dropped all libel claims, except for one against Guardian News & Media Ltd. Variety reported that at least one defendant was never even served.

A BAFTA spokesperson responded to the news (via Variety) saying, “We note that Noel Clarke has dropped his legal action against BAFTA. 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.”

Variety reached out to Clarke’s lawyers to see if the actor was continuing with his claims against The Guardian. They declined to comment.