Noel Clarke drops legal action against Bafta following misconduct allegations-Cydney Yeates-Entertainment – Metro

Noel Clarke is no longer suing Bafta (Picture: PA)

Noel Clarke has dropped his legal action against Bafta, the academy has said.

It was reported in May that the Kidulthood director was suing the organisation after his membership was revoked when 20 women came forward to accuse him of misconduct, including sexual harassment and bullying in 2021.

Clarke vehemently denied the claims, with the Metropolitan Police announcing it had dropped its investigation into the allegations just months ago.

Announcing the latest update, a Bafta spokesperson said in a statement: ‘We note that Noel Clarke has dropped his legal action against Bafta.

‘The serious misconduct alleged in first-hand testimonies and published in The Guardian newspaper is contrary to the standards expected of a Bafta member and the values we uphold as an arts charity and academy.’

They added: ‘We stand by our decision to suspend his honorary award and membership as soon as the detailed allegations came to light.’

Clarke vehemently denied claims of misconduct after 20 women came forward (Picture: Getty)

Announcing its decision to suspend Clarke’s membership in April 2021, a Bafta spokesperson previously said: ‘In light of the allegations of serious misconduct regarding Noel Clarke in The Guardian, Bafta has taken the decision to suspend his membership and the outstanding British contribution to cinema award immediately and until further notice.’

Clarke responded by denying the allegations, and said: ‘In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me. If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. 

Clarke previously spoke out about his mental health following the allegations (Picture: PA)

‘I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.’

In May, Clarke shared that he was suicidal after sexual offence allegations were made against him last year.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he claimed he considered taking his own life but reconsidered after a conversation with his son.

‘I needed to do something unsurvivable,’ he said. ‘I was reaching for a book and the knife fell out of my pocket. My 11-year-old said, “Daddy, why have you got that?”

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‘I said, “It’s just to pick the dirt out of my nails…” And he said, “Oh, OK,” and somehow the ordinariness of that snapped me out of it.

‘Up to that point, I had been waiting for the right moment to kill myself. I was out of here. Done. I didn’t care about anything. My mind was destroyed.’

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