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Actor Jing Lusi Claims Noel Clarke’s Bafta Award Empowered Misconduct in High Court Testimony
In ongoing High Court proceedings, a prominent actor asserted that Bafta’s honorary award to Noel Clarke acted as a “loaded gun,” facilitating his capacity to exploit and silence women. The assertion was made during testimony in Clarke’s libel case against The Guardian, stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct.
Jing Lusi Alleges Award Amplified Clarke’s Predatory Behavior
Jing Lusi, recognized for her roles in “Gangs of London” and “Red Eye,” is among the over twenty women whose accusations of sexual misconduct against actor Noel Clarke were detailed in reports by The Guardian newspaper during 2021 and 2022. These accounts are central to Clarke’s libel lawsuit against the publication.
In 2021, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) initially announced the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award for Clarke, but later suspended it following the serious allegations published by The Guardian.
Details of Lusi’s 2018 Encounter with Clarke
According to her witness statement, Lusi claims that Clarke propositioned her during a dinner in 2018. She stated he engaged in “describing sexual acts” and repeatedly emphasized his 2009 Bafta Rising Star award before allegedly threatening her after she declined his advances.
Audio recordings of Lusi speaking with Guardian journalist Sirin Kale were presented to the court. In the recording, Lusi described Clarke’s honorary Bafta, saying, “It’s going to be a rape tool kit. You’re handing him a rape tool, either he’s going to use it to seduce women and lure them back to his lair or he’s going to use it to silence them … It’s terrifying. He couldn’t stop talking about [the 2009 award] in 2018.”
“Loaded Gun” Remark and Denial of Rape Accusations
Lusi, also known for her part in “Crazy Rich Asians,” reiterated that the award provided Clarke with a “loaded gun.” The Guardian’s reporting did not include any accusations of rape. Under cross-examination on Friday, Philip Williams, representing Clarke, questioned Lusi about whether she had ever accused his client of rape. She affirmed that she had not and was not making such an accusation. However, when asked if she would retract her statement characterizing the award as a “rape tool kit,” she refused.
Lusi Addresses Bafta “Box-Ticking” and Professional Jealousy Claims
Lusi also stated in the recorded conversation that the 2021 award felt like a “box-ticking exercise because he’s black.” In court, Lusi explained her belief that Bafta’s decision was a reaction to accusations of being insufficiently diverse. However, she clarified that her primary concern was that Clarke’s professional achievements “didn’t warrant any award at that level.” She contrasted his “mediocre” body of work unfavorably with that of Ang Lee, another person of color who received the Bafta Fellowship award in 2021.
When Williams suggested that Lusi was motivated by “professional jealousy,” she dismissed the notion with laughter and denied the accusation.
Clarke Responds to Discovery of Woman’s Photos
Clarke returned to give further testimony, addressing the discovery by his former best man and business associate, Davie Fairbanks, of a hard drive containing fifteen photographs of a woman identified as Ivy during the ongoing trial. Fairbanks testified that Clarke had sent him these images. Ivy stated she had never seen the photos previously.
Clarke stated to the court: “My explanation about him having the photographs is he stole them from my devices. I have never shared anyone’s pictures, never have done, never would do. The only explanation is that Mr Fairbanks has … illicitly stored them for a decade and a half.”
Guardian’s Counsel Questions Clarke’s Account
Gavin Millar KC, representing The Guardian, proposed that Clarke was compelled to “come up with a theory” following the discovery of the photos but lacked evidence to support his claims.
The writer, producer, and actor known for the “Kidulthood” trilogy denied Millar’s suggestions that he retained the photos as “collateral” against women. He also refuted the assertion that his explanation – that photos were kept in an unprotected folder on a laptop with a password shared with Fairbanks – was improbable.
Clarke maintained that he had stored the photographs for “aesthetic reasons” and that Fairbanks was given the laptop password solely for emergency purposes.
The trial is expected to continue with one further witness attesting to the veracity of The Guardian’s reporting on April 4th, followed by evidence from the newspaper’s journalists defending their reporting as being in the public interest.