In his first interview since five women came forward nearly two years ago to accuse him of sexual assault, actor Chris Noth insisted that the only thing he is guilty of is adultery. “I strayed on my wife,” he told USA Today in an interview published Monday. “And it’s devastating to her and not a very pretty picture. What it isn’t is a crime.” At the time the allegations were made, in the wake of the 2021 premiere of And Just Like That…, Noth called them “categorically false.” To USA Today, he maintained that he’d not engaged in any nonconsensual sexual encounters, saying, “You give yourself the same excuses that many men do; it’s just a little side dance, and it’s fun. You’re not hurting anybody. No one’s going to know about this, you know, and sex is just enjoyable. And suddenly, a lot of people want to have sex with you. It’s like, ‘Well, I’m not going to get this chance again.’” The 68-year-old also addressed the impact the claims had on his public image, admitting, “There’s nothing I can say to change anyone’s mind. It sounds defensive. I’m not.”
