Actor Noel Clarke has lost his libel case against the Guardian, after he sued the newspaper's publisher for printing allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Doctor Who and Kidulthood star took Guardian News and Media (GNM) to court after the paper ran a series of stories in 2021 claiming he had used his power in the film and TV industry to prey upon and harass women.
On Friday, the judge dismissed Clarke's libel claim and said the Guardian had succeeded in defending its stories on the grounds of truth and public interest.
The judgement found the meaning of each of the newspaper's articles was "substantially true".
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, Guardian News & Media, said last Friday: “We welcome the decision of the High Court today, in a judgment handed down by Mrs Justice Steyn in the case of Noel Clarke vs Guardian News & Media. The judge ruled, in extremely clear language, that the Guardian’s reporting was substantially true, and our belief that the reporting was in the public interest was undoubtedly reasonable.
“This judgment is a deserved victory for those women who suffered because of the behaviour of Noel Clarke. Going to court is difficult and stressful, yet more than 20 women agreed to testify in the High Court, refusing to be bullied or intimidated.
“This is also a landmark judgment for Guardian journalism, and for investigative journalism in Britain. It was important to fight this case. This was a deeply-researched investigation by some of the Guardian’s best reporters, who worked diligently and responsibly. The judgment is clear that our investigation was thorough and fair, a template for public interest journalism.
“I hope today will give encouragement to other women in similar situations who have been too fearful to raise their voices for fear of the consequences.”
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