In the last two days Noel Clarke has given some compelling evidence against several of his accusers in his libel suit against Guardian News and Media (GNM). Clarke is suing them over a podcast and seven articles, particularly an April 2021 article which claimed that 20 women who had professional relationships with Clarke had come forward accusing him of sexual misconduct. 

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Despite Clarke vehemently denying these accusations for many years now, The Guardian are maintaining that their reporting was true and in the best interest of the public. Among the 20 women cited was a previous employee at Clarke’s production company ‘Unstoppable’ between 2014 and 2017, who claimed he sexually assaulted her on a business trip to Los Angeles, bullied her and exposed himself to her in a car. 

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On Thursday, Clarke’s wife of 

Iris Clarke said she was present on that trip alongside their children and called Clarke’s accuser “a liar”. Iris added:

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“I didn’t see her very much, I saw her on two occasions…. When I saw her she was very relaxed and comfortable… Someone who is a victim, feels intimidated, feels threatened, does not act the way she was…

I feel like she was infatuated with him.”

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When Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, told Clarke that his former employee was also “poorly paid” and had to work a bar job in Soho to make ends meet, Clarke responded:

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“That is not my business. I gave her money when I could… She has a mother. It’s her job to look after her, not mine.”

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However, on Friday, Clarke saw the biggest win in his several days of testimony so far, when actress Louise Dylan, who co-starred with Clarke in The Knot (2012) publicly denied allegations made by Clarke’s former business partner Davie Fairbanks against him. Fairbanks alleged that he saw Clarke grope Dylan at the wrap party for their movie, an allegation that Dylan herself never made nor corroborated. 

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Conversely, at a court hearing, Dylan described Clarke as a “friend” and wrote the following email that was shared to the High Court:

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“Someone told the Guardian that he had assaulted me and I wrote this email because it was not true…

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A friend called me and I said this did not happen. I told Noel that he has my support because it is a lie…

I was told I had spoken to these journalists to corroborate a story but I had not.”

Speaking of the wrap party, Dylan recalled: “We all went out before the party to dinner and Davie was there. My boyfriend was there and there was a joke about me and Davie…The wrap party, I don’t remember too well. I was probably there for an hour… I don’t remember the specifics of the party other than we had a nice time.”

Dylan also stated that she never spoke to journalists from the Guardian. And in fairness to the outlet, The Guardian did not report the allegations about Dylan.

The hearing is due to conclude next month (April), with a decision expected at a later date.

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