EXCLUSIVE: All3Media has suspended Noel Clarke and his business partner Jason Maza from their production company Unstoppable Film and Television following an explosive report on misconduct in The Guardian.
Deadline hears that All3Media chiefs made the decision to suspend the duo this morning, pending the outcome of an investigation into Clarke’s actions after the actor was accused of inappropriate behavior by 20 women. Clarke vehemently denies the allegations.
Maza is also caught up in the story after The Guardian reported that he phoned people in recent weeks who allege or say they witnessed Clarke’s sexual misconduct. He told one woman that Unstoppable would be “done” if the claims emerged. His lawyer said the calls were to “friends in the industry” to dispel “untrue” accusations.
In a statement, an All3Media spokesman said: “In light of the recent allegations, Noel Clarke and Jason Maza were suspended this morning (Friday) from Unstoppable Film and Television while we look into this matter.”
In a previous statement on Thursday night, the company said: “We have a zero tolerance approach to abuse, bullying and harassment. We take allegations of this kind extremely seriously and are looking into this as a matter of urgency.”
Clarke and Maza founded Unstoppable Film and Television in 2015 and they were backed by Discovery and Liberty Global-owned All3Media in 2018. Companies House records show that All3Media holds a 21% stake in Unstoppable.
Unstoppable co-produced Sky drama Bulletproof and ITV’s Viewpoint. Sky halted work with Clarke on Season 4 of Bulletproof today, while ITV pulled the final episode of Viewpoint from its schedule on Friday night amid the allegations published in The Guardian.
The newspaper’s deeply reported exposé on Clarke featured various accusations — some from women on the record — about sexual harassment, unwanted touching, taking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos, and bullying.
Clarke emphatically denies the allegations and his lawyers sent The Guardian a 29-page letter rebutting every claim bar one, in which he admitted to apologizing to former colleague Helen Atherton for making “numerous” comments about her buttocks.
In a new statement today, Clarke said: “I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing. Recent reports however have made it clear to me that some of my actions have affected people in ways I did not intend or realise. To those individuals, I am deeply sorry. I will be seeking professional help to educate myself and change for the better.”