Fans of The Equalizer star Chris Noth were very surprised in mid-December, when the actor was accused of sexual assault by several women, after his Sex and the City character, Mr. Big, was killed off in the premiere of the continuation series, And Just Like That… Noth was quickly removed from a future episode of that show, as well as being fired from the CBS hit, where he played the lead’s trusted ally. Now, Queen Latifah has broken her silence on Noth’s firing after those allegations, and admits it’s a “delicate situation.”
What Did Queen Latifah Say About Chris Noth’s The Equalizer Firing?
Just a few days after Chris Noth was removed from a future episode of And Just That Like…, his co-stars, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, released a joint statement saying they were “saddened” by the sexual assault claims and “commended” the women for coming forward. But, Queen Latifah, who stars on The Equalizer as Robyn McCall and worked very closely with Noth for two seasons (he portrayed Robyn’s long-time friend, William Bishop) remained quiet after his late December firing from the drama.
Now, though, Queen Latifah has opened up about the situation to People, and had this to say:
It's still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect. That's a personal thing that he's going to have to deal with.
I can only imagine that “surreal” might be the least of what Queen Latifah has been feeling since the allegations about Noth came out. While he has clearly stated that “I did not assault these women” and said that the claims were “categorically false,” he has been accused of sexually assualting several women (with Law & Order guest star Zoe Lister-Jones alleging that she knew him to be “consistently sexually inappropriate”), along with a domestic abuse claim from 1995 resurfacing in the wake of the new allegations.
If reports such as the ones against Noth come out, it has to be very odd and troubling to hear those stories, especially if your interactions with that person don’t line up with the claims you’re now hearing. On top of that, Queen Latifah needs to be aware of how sensitive the situation is, particularly for those who’ve finally shared their stories. And, she does seem to be clear on that and how careful she has to be when talking about what’s happened.
What Did Queen Latifah Say Will Happen To Chris Noth’s Equalizer Character?
At the same time, losing Noth’s character was, indeed, a blow to her series. William Bishop was an ex-CIA director who’d worked with Robyn while she was an operative for the agency, and after she became a vigilante fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves, he lent her his considerable skills and connections to assist in her new missions.
It was just earlier this month that The Equalizer viewers saw what is the last of Noth’s appearances on the drama, and it remains to be seen how he’ll be written off permanently. Queen 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. Chris's character's obviously a big part of the show and it was amazing chemistry, amazing chemistry. And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?
There are some relatively easy avenues The Equalizer can take to keep Chris Noth out of the picture long term, but while those behind the show haven’t fully decided how to handle that just yet, we do all hope, like Queen Latifah, that the right things are done in this difficult situation.
You can see how they handle Bishop’s absence as The Equalizer continues, Sundays at 8 p.m. EST, with the rest of the returning TV shows.
