Queen Latifah Breaks Silence On Chris Noth’s Firing After Sexual Assault Allegations – HuffPost

Queen Latifah says “justice has to prevail” when it comes to her former co-star Chris Noth, who was dropped from the cast of “The Equalizer” last month after multiple women came forward and said he had sexually assaulted them.

Latifah, who executive produces and stars in CBS’s crime procedural, broke her silence over a month after Noth’s abrupt dismissal from the series following the allegations, which he continues to deny.

“It’s still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect,” she told People in a video interview on Monday. “That’s a personal thing that he’s going to have to deal with.”

Latifah acknowledged how Noth’s role ― a former CIA handler and old friend of her character ― is “obviously a big part of the show” and praised their “amazing chemistry.”

But, ultimately, she said, “My feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?”

As for how the series, which is currently in the middle of filming its second season, will address Noth’s exit, Latifah added, ”We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we’re going to deal with that character.”

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CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images

Days after the accusations surfaced, CBS fired Noth from the series, stating that the actor “will no longer film additional episodes of ‘The Equalizer,’ effective immediately.” Noth, however, will be seen in one upcoming episode of the series, which was filmed before the allegations surfaced.

In a Hollywood Reporter piece published in December, two women came forward with claims that Noth sexually assaulted them on separate occasions in 2004 and 2015. One woman, who used the pseudonym Zoe, said that Noth raped her at his Los Angeles apartment when she was 22. Since then, several other women have shared similar allegations.

The actor was subsequently dropped from his talent agency and his much-buzzed-about Peloton ad was scrapped, along with his appearance in the upcoming season finale of the “Sex and the City” sequel series “And Just Like That … ”.

Noth has repeatedly denied the claims, calling them “categorically false” in a statement he made after the allegations first surfaced.

“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,” he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “The encounters were consensual. 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.”

Latifah’s comments arrive after Noth’s former “Sex and the City” co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis responded to the allegations, saying they were “deeply saddened” and they support the women “who have come forward and shared their painful experiences.”