An actress has spoken in support of Noel Clarke as part of the libel trial brought by the UK actor and filmmaker against Guardian News and Media
An actress has spoken in support of Noel Clarke as part of the libel trial brought by the UK actor and filmmaker against Guardian News and Media (GNM).
Louise Dylan took the stand on Friday, March 14, as a witness for Clarke.
She said she had heard through a friend that Clarke’s former business partner Davie Fairbanks had claimed he saw her being groped by Clarke at the wrap party for 2012 romantic comedy The Knot, which Clarke and Fairbanks wrote and produced, and in which Clarke, Fairbanks and Dylan acted.
After hearing of Clarke’s libel case, she wrote an email to him in which she said the allegation was untrue.
“Someone told The Guardian that he had assaulted me and I wrote this email because it was not true,” said Dylan. “A friend called me and I said this did not happen. I told Noel that he has my support because it is a lie.”
Although The Guardian did not at any stage report the allegations regarding Dylan, Fairbanks is a witness for the newspaper in the libel case. As part of legal proceedings, he claimed to witness Clarke groping Dylan.
He also spoke to The Guardian regarding the allegations against Clarke in a piece published by the newspaper on March 28, 2022.
On Friday, Dylan said she never spoke to journalists from The Guardian. “I was told I had spoken to these journalists to corroborate a story, but I had not,” said the actress.
Speaking of the wrap party in question, Dylan said she didn’t remember it “too well”, that Fairbanks was “around” but “I don’t really recall Davie beyond that.”
“I was with my friend at the time,” said Dylan. “I don’t remember the specifics of the party other than we had a nice time.”
Clarke is suing GNM over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct.
Proceedings for the week concluded at lunchtime on Friday, and will resume on the morning of Monday, March 17. The hearing is due to conclude in April, with a decision in writing expected at a later date.
GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest.
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