Some spoilers ahead for past and future episodes of And Just Like That...!
Most of the old Sex and the City gang returned in the HBO Max revival limited series And Just Like That: Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, Mr. Big, Harry, Stanford, and so on. (Essentially, only Samantha played by Kim Cattrall is missing, although they’ve left the door open for her.) But the foundations of the beloved franchise were rocked in the premiere episode when the character Big (played by Chris Noth) was killed off with a heart attack. Not long after, assault accusations concerning Noth surfaced online, stirring up some controversy and consequences for the actor, and he has reportedly been cut from one last appearance as Big.
TVLine reported that there was meant to be a fantasy sequence during the finale of And Just Like That…, featuring Mr. Big himself. Evidently, Carrie Bradshaw goes to the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris to scatter Big’s ashes in the upcoming February 3 episode and sees him there – but not anymore. The creative team reportedly cut out Chris Noth’s appearance because it was not necessary to the scene. HBO Max has not commented on the report at the time of writing, but the news suggests that the streaming platform is taking the situation with Noth as seriously as CBS is.
The controversy first started when two unnamed women accused Chris Noth of sexual assault on two separate occasions. Then, actress Zoe Lister-Jones likewise alleged that her former Law & Order co-star was “a sexual predator.” As a result, intense accusations of domestic abuse about Noth and his ex-girlfriend Beverly Johnson, dating back to the '90s, began recirculating.
Chris Noth denied the initial accusations but, just like that, projects would eventually cut ties with the 67-year-old actor. Peloton pulled its viral Big ad, stating that they were “unaware” of the incidents in question. He was also fired from the CBS crime drama The Equalizer, and the future of the series without him is currently uncertain.
Similarly, the Mr. Big actor has lost the support of his former Sex and the City/And Just Like That… co-stars. Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis issued a joint statement in the wake of the sexual assault accusations, which they stated they were “deeply saddened” by. They offered their support to the women and commended them for coming forward.
Beyond Big’s big premiere death scene, And Just Like That… has been shocking fans left and right with the new narratives surrounding its lead stars. They are tackling racial issues, non-heterosexual relationships, aging and all-around inclusivity. All of which explains why the Chris Noth allegations wouldn't exactly configure into him being a part of the show's finale anymore. New episodes of the HBO Max series release on Thursdays in the 2022 TV schedule.
