Queen Latifah breaks silence on Chris Noth's firing from 'Equalizer' amid sexual assault allegations

Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for January 25

Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment.

Queen Latifah spoke out about her former co-star on “The Equalizer,” Chris Noth, being removed from the show amid allegations of sexual assault. 

Noth, 67, previously starred alongside the 51-year-old actress in the CBS series about a woman with a unique set of skills who acts as a sort-of anonymous guardian angel to those in her city who find themselves with nowhere else to turn for justice. 

In a previous statement provided to Fox News Digital, the network announced that Noth would no longer be filming new episodes of the show after multiple women came forward alleging that he had sexually assaulted them. 

Speaking to People, Queen Latifah explained how difficult it has been to navigate the situation as both a woman and an ambassador for her show. 

Queen Latifah spoke out about the firing of Chris Noth from their show "The Equalizer." 
(Barbara Nitke/CBS via Getty Images)

“It’s still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect,” she explained. 

As far as the allegations are concerned, the actress said the situation was “a personal thing” that Noth will now have to find a way to “deal with.” As for his character on the show, she explained that he is currently being written out, but that conversations are happening about what that will look like for “The Equalizer going forward.

“We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we’re going to deal with that character,” she said. 

“Chris’s character’s obviously a big part of the show and it was amazing chemistry, amazing chemistry,” Latifah continued. “And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?”

Shortly after the allegations against the “And Just Like That…” actor mounted, CBS announced that it was parting ways with the star. 

Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault by two women.
(Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

“Chris Noth will no longer film additional episodes of ‘The Equalizer,’ effective immediately,” CBS and producers Universal Television said in a statement. 

A source told Fox News Digital at the time that only one additional episode of “The Equalizer” will feature. He will also be seen in any repeats of previous episodes featuring his character, ex-CIA director William Bishop.

The Hollywood Reporter previously told the stories of two women who accused Noth of sexually assaulting them. One woman alleged that she was assaulted by the star in California in 2004 when she was 22 and needed stitches after the ordeal. A second woman claimed Noth assaulted her in New York in 2015 when she was 25.

Noth has since denied both allegations. 

Chris Noth has denied the allegations of sexual assault against him.
(Dimitrios Kambouris)

“The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false,” a statement from Noth previously provided to Fox News Digital by his reps read. “These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual.”

He added: “It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.”

Still, amid the fallout, Noth lost his job on “The Equalizer” and was dropped by his talent agency as more women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Boy, four, died after off-road bike he was on collided with a lamppost
Next post Save £70 off Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro in Very January sale