Adam Deacon, the British actor who won the BAFTA Rising Star award in 2012 but later saw his career hit the ropes following a highly publicized feud with Noel Clarke, has spoken out against the embattled actor and writer.
Last week, Clarke — who created the Kidulthood trilogy of films through which Deacon initially found fame — was the subject of a major exposé in The Guardian in which more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct and bullying over a number of years. BAFTA promptly suspended Clarke and rescinded a recent honor it had awarded him, while broadcasters and production companies he had deals and projects with, including ITV, Sky and All3Media, sought to distance themselves.
In a statement posted Tuesday on Twitter, Deacon said he believed “every single word” of those accusing Clarke, whom he blamed for sabotaging his career and whose “sociopathic behaviour” and “horrific abuse of power” he said caused him to have a mental breakdown.
“I myself have been a victim of Noel Clarke for the last 15 years,” he wrote. “My career was continually sabotaged and the gas lighting became so severe that it lead to the complete breakdown of my mental health.”
Deacon, who in 2015 was banned from contacting Clarke by a London court that found him guilty of harassment without violence, said that he had repeatedly spoken out regarding his former colleague, but his claims had been dismissed.
“I only wish everyone had taken more notice of my words. His horrific abuse of power could have been stopped before it affected so many others,” he said.
Deacon said that he was “extremely thankful” for the support he’d received in the days following the allegations against Clarke.
“While recent events have served as a small vindication for me I am beyond saddened by the pain that so many people have had to endure at the hands of Noel Clarke.”
On Friday, a day after the exposé was published, Clarke issued a statement in which he “vehemently denied” any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing. The following day, London Police confirmed that a report had been filed linked to allegations of sexual offenses, although no investigation was underway.
See the full statement from Deacon below.
