Chris Noth Accused of Sexual Assault by 2 Women; LAPD Investigating 1 Report

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Home  »  Sex Crimes   »   Zoe Lister-Jones Accuses Chris Noth of Sexual Misconduct After Hollywood Reporter Story

Zoe Lister-Jones Accuses Chris Noth of Sexual Misconduct After Hollywood Reporter Story

Dec 17, 2021

Actor Chris Noth, best known as Mr. Big from the “Sex and the City” television series, has been accused of sexual assault by two women. A story in The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday detailed the allegations, which the women said occurred in Los Angeles in 2004 and New York in 2015.

Identifying the women using pseudonyms – Lily, 40, and Zoe, 31, – the Hollywood Reporter indicated that they approached the media outlet separately in August and October, respectively. Lily is reportedly a journalist and Zoe works in the entertainment industry. The story noted that the women were fearful of repercussions if their identifies were known.

In August, THR said they were contacted by Lily through email. “I’m not sure how you go about this sort of story and how you find the other victims,” she wrote.

Zoe, who contacted THR in October and works in entertainment, told the publication that seeing Noth’s recent appearance in the “Sex and the City” revival, “And Just Like That..,,” stirred up painful memories.

It was the revival of the television series that had made him such an iconic character that was triggering for the two women,” Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter (THR) wrote.

“Seeing that he was reprising his role in “Sex and the City” set off something in me,” Zoe told THR. “For so many years, I buried it,” she added, noting that it was time “to try to go public with who he is.

THR contacted Noth for comment and he provided the following statement:

The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. 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. 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.”

Details of Noth’s Alleged Sexual Assaults

According to the THR story, Zoe moved to Los Angeles in 2004 at the age of 22. She worked in an entry-level position at a “high-profile firm” where Noth and other celebrities “regularly had business.

“He would walk by my desk and flirt with me. He somehow got my number from the directory and was leaving messages on my work phone. My boss was like, ‘Mr. Big’s leaving messages on your voicemail,’” she told THR.

Zoe’s former boss reportedly confirmed to THR that she witnessed Noth, 49 at the time, speaking to Zoe at her desk. Additionally, the THR article indicated Zoe let her then-boss listen to some “kind of flirty” voicemails from him.

According to the THR story, Zoe’s ex-boss “thought it odd” that the older Noth had obtained Zoe’s number from the company directory, but said she didn’t find it “alarming.” “This was peak “Sex and the City” she told THR. “He was like a God to us.

Noth reportedly invited Zoe to come to the pool at his West Hollywood apartment, the same building she had frequented on previous occasions when visiting a friend. Zoe and her best friend who was visiting from the East Coast went to the pool to meet Noth. The visiting friend confirmed sitting with Zoe and Noth in the jacuzzi, according to THR.

Noth reportedly exited the jacuzzi, heading up to his apartment to take a call. But he left a book behind, telling Zoe he was “thinking of doing a project based on the material,” and to look through it before returning it to his apartment.

Zoe went up to the apartment to return the book a short time later, and as she stepped through the door, Noth allegedly kissed her. The THR article further details the alleged encounter:

“She tentatively kissed back but then said, ‘Thank you, I’m going back to my friend.‘ The kiss itself didn’t alarm her; she thought a kiss from Mr. Big would be a fun story to tell her friends. But she says he then pulled her toward him, moved her toward the bed, pulled off her shorts and bikini bottom, and began to rape her from behind. She was facing a mirror. ‘It was very painful and I yelled out, ‘Stop!”” she says. ‘And he didn’t. I said, ”Can you at least get a condom?” and he laughed at me.'”

Zoe told THR that there was blood on her shirt when she returned to her friend’s apartment, visibly shaken. That friend reportedly drove Zoe to Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Zoe told staff she had been sexually assaulted and though two police officers came, she did not name Noth as her attacker. She reportedly received stiches, medicine, and a crisis counseling brochure.

THR contacted Cedars-Sinai regarding the incident, but the hospital does not keep records dating back to 2004.

Zoe’s former boss told THR that she recalls receiving a phone call telling her of Noth’s alleged attack. “I was driving behind where Soho House is now, and I think I stopped and pulled over because it was so horrible,” Zoe’s ex-boss said. “She was very upset, kind of in shock. I was in shock.

Zoe told THR that after having nightmares and flashbacks she sought counseling at the UCLA Rape Crisis Center. The facility confirmed to THR that they had treated Zoe.

Noth’s second accuser, Lily, told THR in August that she met the “Sex in the City” actor in New York in 2015 when she was a VIP section server at a nightclub. She was 25 at the time and Noth was 60. Lily told THR she was “truly star-struck. He was hitting on me, for sure. I was flattered. I knew he was married, which is shameful of me to admit.”

Noth reportedly took Lily’s number and invited her to dinner at Il Cantinori, a restaurant featured in a “Sex in the City” episode.

At their “date,” they sat at the bar, and Lily told THR she ended up having too much to drink but was “nowhere near blacking out.” As the restaurant was closing, Noth reportedly invited Lily back to his Greenwich Village apartment just around the corner.

Lily told THR Noth sexually assaulted her at his apartment, recounting the alleged ordeal in detail:

“He tried to make out with me. I cautiously entertained it. He’s older and looked older. He kept trying and trying and trying, and I should have said no more firmly and left. And then the next thing I knew, he pulled down his pants and he was standing in front of me,” she said.

Lily said Noth then “thrust his penis into her mouth,” according to the THR article.

“He was having sex with me from the back in a chair. We were in front of a mirror. I was kind of crying as it happened.” Afterward, Lily told THR, “I went to the bathroom and put on my skirt. I was feeling awful. Totally violated. All of my dreams with this star I loved for years were gone.”

She reportedly took an Uber home, calling her friend from the car. “She was pretty hysterical,” Lily’s friend, Alex, told THR.

The next day, Alex said Lily tried to minimize the alleged sexual assault by Noth. “She said, ‘I’m overreacting, just forget it.'” But Alex recalled listening to a voicemail Noth had left on Lily’s phone. “It was, ‘Hey, hope you didn’t take anything wrong last night. We had fun. Just want to make sure you didn’t take it the wrong way.'”

Alex told THR the voicemail seemed “very much, ‘I know I did something bad, but I’m trying to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal.'”

The THR article included texts Noth and Lily exchanged in 2015:

Noth: “By the way I have to ask did you enjoy our night last week. I thought it was a lot of fun but I wasn’t quite sure how you felt.”

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Lily: “Hmm… I certainly enjoyed your company. Great conversation. Not to go into specifics over text message, but I did feel slightly used… Perhaps this is better as a phone conversation but I can’t talk at the moment.”

Noth reportedly suggested meeting again for dinner or drinks. Lily “continued to respond in a friendly but noncommittal way,” and though she agreed to dinner at one point, she later canceled and they never met again.

If you do want to have a drink later it doesn’t have to be at my place… although I have the best whiskey,” Noth later wrote. “Come have a drink with me before I leave [town]. Oh mysterious one… where did you go.

Zoe Lister-Jones Accuses Noth of “Sexually Inappropriate” Behavior

Actor and Director Zoe Lister-Jones shared her own allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior from Chris Noth shortly after the article in The Hollywood Reporter was published.

In an Instagram post, Lister-Jones wrote:

Last week, my friend asked me how I felt about Mr. Big’s death on And Just Like That…, and I said, honestly, I felt relieved. He asked why and I told him it was because I couldn’t separate the actor from the man, and the man is a sexual predator. My friend was alarmed at my word choice. And to be honest so was I. I hadn’t thought of this man for so many years, and yet there was a virility to my language that came from somewhere deep and buried.

In my twenties I worked at a club in NY that Chris Noth owned and on the few occasions he would show up, he was consistently sexually inappropriate with a fellow female promoter. That same year, I was a guest star on Law And Order and it was his first episode returning as a detective after SATC.

He was drunk on set. During my interrogation scene he had a 22 oz. of beer under the table that he would drink in between takes. In one take he got close to me, sniffed my neck, and whispered, “You smell good.” I didn’t say anything. My friend at the club never said anything. It’s so rare that we do.

Chris Noth Peloton Ad Pulled Following Sexual Assault Allegations

Peloton, the stationary-bike maker, removed a viral advertisement featuring Chris Noth and actor Ryan Reynolds hours after the sexual assault allegations surfaced. The “Sex and the City” reboot – “And Just Like That…” – featured a scene where Noth’s character, Mr. Big, dies of a heart attack after riding a Peloton bike.

Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously,” Peloton said in a statement. “We were unaware of these allegations when we featured Chris Noth in our response to HBO’s reboot.

Ryan Reynolds reportedly also removed all traces of the Peloton advertisement featuring Noth following the sexual assault allegations.

Los Angeles Police Department Investigating Claims Against Noth

PEOPLE Magazine reported that the LAPD is examining the sexual assault allegations made against Noth. An LAPD spokesperson confirmed to the magazine that the department is “looking into the nature of the report,” adding that authorities are attempting to figure out “when, where, or even if a report was filed.” According to PEOPLE, the LAPD is involved in one case, not both.

Noth’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, told PEOPLE “No one from any law enforcement agency has contacted Chris or any of his representatives. Obviously if anyone does reach out, we will cooperate fully.

Deadline also reported Thursday that the LAPD is investigating the alleged 2004 sexual assault incident, noting that authorities are “in the very early stages and may have some crossover with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.”

Believing Sexual Assault Survivors in the #MeToo Era

Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) founder and former sex crimes prosecutor, Sam Dordulian, has handled hundreds of sexual assault and abuse cases. Dordulian says that, although Noth will of course have his day in court, there are a number of potentially damning elements to the allegations made against him.

When you look at a case from the standpoint of either a prosecutor or a civil attorney representing a sexual assault survivor, there are certain aspects of an allegation that can often indicate veracity. With the two allegations made against Noth, you have witnesses who recall the incidents, but you also have a medical examination [potentially a rape kit], police arriving at the scene, and the person seeking rape trauma counseling afterward. Additionally, the fact that the two women made these allegations without knowing one another and at separate times could be problematic for any defense Noth may pursue,” Dordulian said.

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

Filing a Sexual Assault Civil Claim

A survivor of sexual assault may wish to file a civil claim against a perpetrator. Civil lawsuits are typically pursued in an effort to recover financial compensation for various types of damages, such as:

  • Hospital or medical expenses
  • Counseling or therapy expenses
  • Emotional trauma or psychological harm
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Pain and suffering

Sexual assault civil lawsuits may be brought regardless of whether or not any criminal charges are ever filed against a predator. To speak to a sexual assault lawyer from DLG for a free consultation, contact us at 866-GO-SEE-SAM.

DLG’s SAJE Team offers survivors a unique type of legal representation that includes resources such as an in-house clinical therapist and victim advocates.

DLG’s Sex Crimes Division is led by Sam Dordulian, a former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County and sex crimes prosecutor with more than 25 years of experience helping survivors obtain justice.

AB 218 Child Sex Abuse Revival Window Deadline

California AB 218, the landmark legislation which took effect in 2020, allows ALL survivors of childhood sexual abuse the opportunity to file a civil claim and obtain justice through financial compensation — regardless of how long ago the crime occurred. But AB 218’s three-year loopback window officially expires at the end of 2022, and survivors who haven’t filed a claim before that time will likely left without any future legal recourse. To speak with a child sexual abuse lawyer, contact us today at 818-322-4056.



Author

Samuel Dordulian

Samuel Dordulian, founder

Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.




Go See Sam