Noel Clarke says The Guardian acted as “judge, jury and executioner” when it published allegations of sexual misconduct and destroyed his showbiz career, the High Court heard as the actor begins a libel fight for £70 million in damages.
The former Doctor Who star, 49, had just been awarded a BAFTA for outstanding contribution to cinema in 2021 when the newspaper printed allegations from 20 women who complained about his conduct.
Female co-stars and production crew claimed he propositioned them for sex, carried out sexual assaults, secretly filmed nude auditions, and made a string of lewd remarks on set.
Clarke vehemently denies the claims and has sued for libel, in a High Court trial when he will argue he is the victim of a “conspiracy” to smear his reputation, just as he reached the height of his success.
The Guardian is fighting the libel claim, backing the work of the journalists and the stories of the women, and insisting the allegations against Clarke are true and it was in the public interest to publish.
The actor, director, and producer on hit films and shows like Kidulthood, Bulletproof, and Doctor Who, complains he was given just 24 hours to respond when the newspaper put the allegations to him.
The journalists “did not simply call for an inquiry (but) played the role of judge, jury and executioner of the claimant’s career and reputation”, said Clarke’s lawyer Philip Williams.
“Once a prominent figure within the British media industry, his ability to work is now significantly restricted”, he said.
“Since the publication, he has become ‘completely exiled’ from the film industry, and is perceived as a criminal by all those who previously trusted and worked with him.”
Clarke says TV projects including Sky One’s Bulletproof and ITV’s Viewpoint were stopped, he was suspended from BAFTA, and he became “persona non grata” and “no production company would work with him”.
He says the Guardian’s articles were “particularly devastating owing to the fact that they were published just when he was hitting his pinnacle in his career.”
Mr Williams said Clarke struggled with mental health difficulties including depression and went into therapy, and he added: “His wife became suicidal and nearly lost their baby. The children have been in regular counselling owing to the impact of the articles.”
The Guardian is strongly contesting the libel claim, insisting its journalism was in the public interest and the claims against Clarke can be proved to be true. Some 32 witnesses are set to give evidence for the newspaper’s case.
The journalists behind the articles, Lucy Osborne and Sirin Kale, are expected to give evidence, while Guardian editor Kath Viner has also provided a witness statement.
Gavin Millar KC, for Guardian News and Media, said Clarke’s conspiracy claim will “die a death” if ventured during the trial as “there is no evidence which supports it and because the evidence which will be given at the trial will show very clearly that (The Guardian) published the articles in the belief that this is what its journalistic duty, in the public interest, required.”
The newspaper says statements about Clarke in seven articles and one podcast at the heart of the libel trial are “true or substantially true ”, and 16 women who are due to give evidence against Clarke had “no motive for them to lie”.
“(Clarke) has not suggested any, beyond making wild allegations as to an alleged conspiracy”, Mr Millar added. “In some cases, the women’s testimony is corroborated by contemporaneous documents and/or the evidence of third parties. There is ample evidence that all the articles were true or substantially true.”
Clarke made an initial claim for damages of £2.83 million, which rose to £10 million in January. Clarke has now applied for the damages figure to be as high as £70 million. The decision on the value of his claim will not be decided until after the libel trial.
Opening the case in court, Mr Williams called the Guardian “archaeologists” and said they came up with a story with “more holes than a colander”.
Clarke was “one of the first success stories from the black community in British television and cinema”, he said, and was wrongly dubbed a sexual predator
“A sexual predator is not a womaniser, or someone who has had an extramarital affair, or a flirt, or a man who looks for mutually beneficial opportunities for sexual intercourse”, he said.
“Mr Clarke is absolutely not, and never has been, a sexual predator. The Guardian has got it plum wrong.”
The Guardian’s witness are set to repeat from the witness box their allegations that Clarke exposed himself, showed naked pictures on his phone, and in some instances allegedly sexually assaulted them - all claims he denies.
The trial is also due to hear evidence from people who were once close to Clarke but have now turned accusers.
The Guardian says Davie Fairbanks, a writer and director and former creative partner of Clarke’s, is going to say he saw the actor “secretly film nude auditions”, he claims he was shown nude photographs by Clarke, and he will give evidence of a wrap party ‘grope’.
Gina Powell, who worked alongside Clarke for three years, is set to testify to a “pattern of abusive behaviour, financial exploitation, bullying and sexual misconduct”.
She says he exposed himself to her in a car, and sexually assaulted her when they were away on business in LA.
Clarke’s claim of a conspiracy to bring down his career is due to be dealt with at a second High Court trial in the future.
But it is expected to be raised with witnesses during this case against The Guardian.
He says he fell victim to a malicious email campaign of smears, and he says the news articles that were ultimately published were fuelled by this campaign.
Clarke is set to attack the journalism, suggesting reporters gave him little time to respond to the accusations before publication and effectively joined in the “conspiracy” he says was being mounted against him.
The trial continues.
