Chris Noth has been accused of sexual assault by four women now. Besides probably destroying his marriage and possibly yielding belated legal consequences, the scandal has also had the effect of destroying an image held by many Sex and the City fans.
Carrie Bradshaw shippers fell in love with the wealthy, emotionally unavailable Mr. Big (though notably not all viewers — see our poll HERE) through six seasons and both movies. So when these allegations came out, it was heartbreaking.
The show’s stars released a statement in support of the accusers, but they didn’t speak about any bad experiences with their co-star on set. But someone from the show is: Charlotte York. No, not the real Charlotte, Kristin Davis — but her stand-in.
Related: Chris Noth’s Chilling Comments About Playing A Rapist
Heather Kristin, who stood in for Davis for four seasons, first published an essay for The Independent back in February about an “alpha male” actor who was inappropriate with women on set. On Thursday, after the allegations came out, she edited and re-released the post to remove any anonymity.
Finally speaking her mind, she says she “felt relief” when And Just Like That killed off Mr. Big in the first episode because of the “toxic” behavior she had witnessed from him over the years.
She claims Noth “slid his hand down my back and over my butt” while pretending to help her out. She remembers him saying to her, “That’s your spot, sweetie,” while getting way too close. Ugh.
Heather says she almost quit that first day she was so appalled. However, she refused to give up the opportunity and instead tried “to stay out of his path.” Thankfully for her sake, Charlotte and Big didn’t have that many scenes together — but her peace didn’t last forever. She writes:
“About a year later, Chris Noth pointed to another stand-in and said, ‘I want that one tied up, gagged, and brought to my trailer.'”
Gross. After her previous pawing at his hands, she wasn’t about to take any crap this time. She recalls:
“When he got near me, I balled up my fists, squared my shoulders, and said, ‘This is my and her space.’ He backed up, dramatically putting his hands up in the air and said, ‘Whoa, there, little lady!’ He didn’t even know my name. I clenched my jaw and didn’t respond. The crew laughed. But I had had enough; I finally stood up for myself and for the other stand-in.”
Heather is sure she wasn’t the only one who saw the way he treated women on set. She says:
“Some members of the crew must have been aware of the star’s behavior and the sexual harassment on set, especially after my essay went viral in the Independent in February.”
She says she felt “betrayed” when she learned he was being brought back for the reboot and betrayed again by Sarah Jessica Parker herself after the premiere:
“Over twenty years later, as an avid fan of the show, I scrolled through the red-carpet shots of the reboot And Just Like That and recoiled. How could Sarah Jessica Parker, stunningly dressed in gray chiffon, cuddle in photos with Chris Noth? She practically glowed as she smiled up at him.”
True enough. And she’s never reported any bad behavior on his part. Of course, that would make a kind of sense. Mistreating stand-ins may have wrongfully had the crew laughing, but mistreating the star could get you fired. Predators don’t prey on more powerful animals — they go after those they perceive to be weaker, isolated, and more vulnerable.
Even a show celebrating and empowering women isn’t immune to this kind of misconduct. So infuriating. Will more stories from the set of Sex And The City come out? We guess we’ll just have to wait… hopefully without balled up fists.
[Image via HBO Max.]
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