Noel Clarke will not face a criminal investigation relating to the 20 allegations of sexual harassment and bullying made against him last year.
According to The Guardian newspaper, London’s Metropolitan Police has said that “following a thorough assessment by specialist detectives,” it has decided not to launch a formal investigation into the claims.
“We have updated the complainants. If any further allegations related to those already assessed are reported, then it will be thoroughly considered,” a representative told the newspaper.
The news comes almost a year after Clarke — best known in the U.K. for the Kidulthood and Adulthood films, but also for appearances on such shows as Doctor Who — was the subject of a major exposé in which 20 women who had worked with him came forward with allegations of sexual harassment, unwanted touching, groping and unprofessional conduct between 2004 and 2019.
The ensuing fallout, in which more allegations came to light, saw Clarke forced to resign from his All3Media-owned production company Unstoppable Film and TV, with his shows, such as Bulletproof on Sky, pulled from schedules and canceled. The British Academy also suspended him from his membership (he had controversially received an outstanding British contribution to cinema award from BAFTA just days before the exposé broke), and CAA dropped him as a client.
“I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing,” Clarke said in a statement at the time. “Recent reports however have made it clear to me that some of my actions have affected people in ways I did not intend or realize. To those individuals, I am deeply sorry. I will be seeking professional help to educate myself and change for the better.”
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