‘Not my business’ to ensure producer paid enough, Noel Clarke tells High Court
The actor is suing Guardian News and Media over seven articles and a podcast containing allegations of sexual misconduct.
Actor Noel Clarke has told the High Court it is “not my business” to ensure a producer who worked for him was paid enough to make ends meet, adding “none of us were making money”.
The 49-year-old is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 which said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct.
He denies the allegations, while GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest.
Gina Powell worked for Clarke’s production company, Unstoppable, for three years, between 2014 and 2017, and had to take a bar job in Soho to “to make ends meet”, Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said at a hearing on Wednesday.
He told Clarke: “You used her as a full-time assistant and worked her hard.
“She was poorly paid and struggling to make ends meet, and you knew that.”
Clarke replied: “That is not my business. I gave her money when I could. I let her sell things on eBay and keep the money.
“She has a mother. It’s her job to look after her, not mine.”
He continued: “We only ever agreed to pay expenses. We paid for flights most of the time when she wanted to go somewhere.
“None of us were making money. It was a bunch of freelancers trying to get films made. No-one was special. So I don’t know why I am responsible for her bank balance.”
Ms Powell has accused Clarke of sexual assault and bullying and exposing himself to her in a car.
Clarke has denied this and contested Mr Millar’s assertion that he would scream at her, adding that he “helped her immensely”.
Mr Millar said of the bar job: “You resented this because she was not available to do your Unstoppable work.”
Clarke replied: “There were times when we needed things done that were not done, including the contracts that ended up costing me £15,000.
“So if she was not doing things that she needed to do that caused quite an annoyance.”
The court also heard that Clarke owed Ms Powell £3,000 after the production of Brotherhood, which Clarke said was a result of Ms Powell having “manipulated her contract”.
Philip Williams, for Clarke, previously told the court in written submissions that the actor “has clearly established the falsity of all of the allegations”.
The barrister continued that his client was “barely able to reply to the allegations” published by the Guardian and was “perceived as a criminal by all those who previously trusted and worked with him”.
Mr Millar said in his written submissions that the paper “did not simply accept what was said to it” and that “much time and resource was devoted to getting to the truth”.
He also said there is “ample evidence” that all of the articles were true or substantially true.
The hearing before Mrs Justice Steyn is due to conclude in April, with a decision expected in writing at a later date.
