Queen Latifah Talks Chris Noth’s ‘Equalizer’ Exit: ‘Justice Has to Prevail’

Queen Latifah is speaking out about costar Chris Noth‘s exit from The Equalizer following multiple sexual assault allegations made against him. Also dropped from the upcoming finale of HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, Noth was announced to be departing the CBS thriller series last month.

“It’s still surreal. It’s such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect. That’s a personal thing that he’s going to have to deal with,” she said in a recent interview with People. “And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?”

When asked how the show would handle the departure of his character, William Bishop, she said, “We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we’re going to deal with that character. Chris’s character is obviously a big part of the show, and it was amazing chemistry.”

The allegations against the former Sex and the City star came to light in an article published by The Hollywood Reporter in December 2021, in which two women claimed they had been assaulted by the actor in Los Angeles in 2004 and New York in 2015. More have come forward since.

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Noth has since defended himself, saying in a statement, “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual.”

The Law & Order alum has starred alongside Latifah in CBS’ Equalizer since its premiere in February 2021. Currently in its second season, the series’ January 2 episode marked his final appearance, with the next not mentioning his character at all. Season 2 returns with new episodes on February 27, though no word on the future of William Bishop has been announced.