Singer Says Chris Noth Sexually Assaulted Her in 2002

Lisa Gentile says he threatened to ruin her career if she told anybody
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 24, 2021 6:33 AM CST
Singer Says Chris Noth Assaulted, Threatened Her
Chris Noth poses for a portrait during the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on July 26, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif.   (Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP)

Singer-songwriter Lisa Gentile says Chris Noth sexually assaulted her in 2002—and threatened to ruin her career if she told anybody. At a press conference with attorney Gloria Allred on Thursday, Gentile said the actor, a longtime acquaintance from Da Marino restaurant in New York City, invited himself into her apartment, saying he "just wanted to see where I lived," after giving her a ride home one night in 2002, People reports. She said that after she poured him a glass of wine in the kitchen, he pushed her against a countertop and started aggressively kissing and touching her, squeezing her breasts as she fought to pull his hands away.

Gentile said that as Noth tried to pull her hands towards his penis, "I finally managed to push him away and get out of his grasp and yell 'No, I don't want this.' He became extremely angry and started screaming and calling me a tease and a bitch. He stormed out of my apartment." Gentile said she woke up her roommate after Noth left and told her what had happened. She said Noth called her the next day and warned that if she "ever told a soul about what happened the night before that he would ruin my career, that I would never sing again and that he would blacklist me in the business." She said after Noth hung up, she immediately called her mother and father, crying.

Three other women have come forward anonymously this month to accuse Noth of sexual assault and director Zoe Lister-Jones has accused him of sexual misconduct on the set of Law & Order. Noth has denied the allegations. Gentile said Thursday she had long been afraid to speak out against Noth because of his "power and his threats to ruin my career," but she is coming forward now in the hope of changing the statute of limitations law, Variety reports. "I'm speaking out now in support of the other four women who have courageously come forward before me," she said. "I feel that we should have our day in court to seek to hold Mr. Noth accountable for what he did." (Noth has been dropped from The Equalizer.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X