Two weeks before Doctor Who star Noel Clarke was set to receive a BAFTA for his outstanding British contribution to cinema, the organization received several anonymous tips from women alleging they had been harassed and sexually assaulted by him in different ways in professional settings. Allegations have continued to emerge since then, with Doctor Who crew members now among those who say the actor has a history of such behavior.
the Guardian the initial report came from the stories of 20 different women who say their experiences with Clarke included her groping and intimidating them between 2004 and 2019 and, in one case, secretly recording an actress’ nude audition without her consent. Today another Guardian piece adds suspected incidents both on the set of Doctor Who and at a promotional event for the long-running British science fiction series. In most cases, individuals and other witnesses described the actor becoming “aggressive” if his advances were not returned. The BBC did not respond to a request for comment.
Clarke denied all the allegations minus one according to the article – “he made inappropriate comments about a woman before, which he later apologized for.”ed, but denying the rest of his complaints ”- initially telling The Guardian:“ In a 20 year career, I have put inclusiveness and diversity at the forefront of my work and have never had a complaint against me. If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologizee. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or any wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against any false allegations. Just a day later he released another statement repeating his denial but adding, “Recent reports have made it clear to me, however, that some of my actions have affected people in ways that I did not intend or realize.e. To these people, I am deeply sorry. I will seek professional help to educate myself and change for the better. “
The original report confirmed that BAFTA was aware of the allegations before awarding him an award recently. The organization said it did not take action against them due to a lack of evidence to trigger its own investigation. BAFTA thereafter hanging clarke and picked up the prize – with the Guardian adding a new charity statement to their piece. award and Noel Clarke’s BAFTA membership until further notice. In addition, ITV has decided to remember the last episode of Point of view, a series in which the actor plays, and Sky has announced its intentions not to work with him anymore.
The backlash over the allegations against Clarke has been swift, but the latest chorus of voices against him is also calling on everyone to look at the bigger picture. This week, 800 people working in the UK entertainment industry signed an open letter explaining how the kind of behavior Clarke is accused of is part of what creates toxic work environments that ultimately harm everyone involved. “We just want to do our job,” the open letter says. “But we end up having to manage and navigate these situations. We don’t want to be seen as “overjoyed” and we don’t want to make men angry. It’s a constant, terrifying tightrope. We are exhausted and we are angry.
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The letter makes clear how the prevalence of sexual harassment in the industry and the culture of punishing those who speak out actively harms women in particular, who bear the brunt of the burden, danger and consequences in these situations. “All of this contributes to undervaluing us on television,” one also reads. “Many men will not recognizee or notice sexist micro-aggressions –the low buzz of sexism –and many women will accept it as part of the culture. It was normalized, but that’s not normal.
While the level of accountability to which Clarke is held is what many have insisted on seeing more in cases of alleged sexual misconduct, it’s important to keep the open letter’s message of the danger of complicity in mind, as it hits the heart of the matter. the problem. For example, the current focus on Clarke has prompted further examination of the comrade’s allegations. Doctor Who franchise veteran John Barrowman repeatedly exposes his genitals to people while working on the set of this series and its aftermath Torchwood. “Contacted by the Guardian, Barrowman admitted to ‘madness’ that he now understood his upset colleagues, but stressed that this had never been intended or interpreted to be sexual in nature,” the article said. While Barrowman’s actions were reported to the BBC as early as 2008 and he was reprimanded by the network, it is said that the actor’s habit of exposing himself to people was an open secret that was allowed to continue as long as he did.
It’s unclear what will happen to Clark’s ongoing projects that have been hampered by reports about him, and it’s also unclear what will happen to that precise long-term calculation moment.
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