Noel Clarke seeks £10m in damages from The Guardian after misconduct articles had 'catastrophic' impact on career

Noel Clarke seeks £10m in damages from The Guardian after misconduct articles had 'catastrophic' impact on career
Alex Davies

By Alex Davies


Published: 19/07/2023

- 13:49

Updated: 19/07/2023

- 13:54

Eight articles emerged back in 2021 consisting of misconduct allegations from 20 women against the Kidulthood star

Bulletproof and Adulthood star Noel Clarke is seeking around £10m in damages from The Guardian.

The newspaper published allegations from 20 women who had worked with Clarke across a 15-year period in which they made several misconduct claims.


Clarke has denied all of the allegations about his behaviour and has claimed the articles have had a "catastrophic effect" on his work prospects.

As well as Sky's Bulletproof, Clarke's CV also included roles in ITV's Viewpoint, children's series The Adventures of Paddington and a number of big-screen movies.

After the allegations were made, Clarke claimed he lost work on a handful of greenlit projects as well as a fourth series of Bulletproof.

He remains active on social media and while he didn't address the case and reports directly on Wednesday, he took to Instagram to share words of advice for his followers.

Clarke penned: "Do not let the challenges you face deter you from your path.

"Remember, obstacles are the stepping stones to growth and resilience.

"Embrace them with an unwavering determination, and you will find the strength to overcome any adversity."

According to documents lodged at London's High Court, Clarke claims "the impact on him financially has been devastating" following the articles' publication.

The claim adds that as well as "every existing or upcoming contract" being axed, potential work opportunities have completely dried up as well.

While Clarke is reported to seek £10m in damages, if he wins, it will be left to a judge to decide what damages he is entitled to.

A hearing for the case was due to take place this week but was pushed back due to Clarke wanting to instruct new solicitors.

The hearing will be used to determine if the articles published were defamatory against Clarke and what the meaning of them was.

A High Court judge has penned in a date of October or early November for the hearing to commence, giving the actor approximately three months to liaise with his team.

According to BBC News, The Guardian does not yet appear to have filed an official defence with the court although "it appears from the pre-action correspondence" that The Guardian appears "to be intent on robustly defending" the case.

The Metropolitan Police decided in March 2022 not to pursue a criminal investigation as it said there was not enough evidence following the publication of the articles to warrant one.