Noel Clarke is suing The Guardian for £10m damages over “false” reports

19 July, 2023

Noel Clarke BAFTA

Noel Clarke is suing The Guardian for £10million in damages over what he calls “false” reports of alleged sexual harassment.

In an exposé published by The Guardian in April 2021, the Bulletproof actor was accused by 20 women of a variety of wrongdoings including bullying, sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact.

Clarke then sued BAFTA for defamation following its decision to suspend his membership after the allegations, before dropping the lawsuit last year.

Now, a defamation suit has been filed by Clarke at London’s High Court against The Guardian, seeking damages for financial and reputational damage.

The suit says that “the impact on him financially has been devastating” and that he has “not had one single work contract” since the allegations were made.

Noel Clarke. CREDIT: Dave Benett/Getty Images

The itemised damages include £250,000 for legal fees regarding the allegations made in the Guardian piece, while he is also claiming aggravated damages for what is described by his lawyers as the “relentless, targeted, vicious and persistent nature of the wholly unjustified defamatory campaign” against him by The Guardian.

The hearing has now been delayed until October or November this year due to Clarke wishing to appoint new solicitors.

In response, Guardian News & Media said in a statement: “The Guardian‘s investigation was deeply reported and researched, relying on the testimony of 20 women, all of whom knew Noel Clarke in a professional capacity. We stand by our reporting and will be robustly defending our journalism.”

After the news of the allegations surfaced, ITV made the decision to pull the finale of Clarke’s Viewpoint. Sky, meanwhile, dropped Clarke and suspended production on the new season of Bulletproof until further notice.