Queen Latifah Reacts To Chris Noth’s Firing From The Equalizer Amid Assault Allegations

It’s been about a month since Chris Noth was dropped from The Equalizer, and his former co-star Queen Latifah has weighed in on how the series will continue without him. “It’s still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect,” the 51-year-old actor told People (The TV Show!) of the multiple sexual assault allegations made against Noth in recent weeks. “That’s a personal thing that he's going to have to deal with,” she added.

“We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we're going to deal with that character,” the Beauty Shop star added. She also said that Noth’s character — a former CIA director named William Bishop — is a “big part of the show” and that they had “amazing chemistry” on set. Latifah plays Robyn McCall in the series, a former CIA operative. “My feeling is justice has to prevail regardless,” she said. “I just want the right things to be done, you know?”

The first season of the show aired in February 2021, and Noth’s final appearance was in Season 2’s Jan. 2 episode titled “Separated.” CBS released a statement confirming that the actor was dismissed from the series in December. “Chris Noth will no longer film additional episodes of The Equalizer, effective immediately,” the statement said, according to People. Noth was accused by four different women but denied any and all allegations made against him.

“The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false,” he said in a statement. “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 also questioned the timing of the allegations, which coincided with the release of the Sex and the City reboot on HBO Max. “I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women,” he said.

The Equalizer isn’t the only series that Noth was removed from recently. According to ET, the cast and crew of And Just Like That... agreed to cut the actor from the show’s finale. Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Noth’s longtime love interest Carrie Bradshaw, was reportedly “heartbroken” and “livid” when she heard about the allegations for the first time. “It is not about the money, but rather her legacy,” a source told Us Weekly. “Carrie was all about helping women and now, under her watch, women are saying that they have been hurt.”

Parker and her co-stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis went on to release a joint statement in support of the alleged victims. “We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth,” they wrote. “We support the women who have come forward and share their painful experiences. We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.