Content warning: This story discusses sexual assault.
Peloton is distancing itself from Chris Noth after two women accused him of sexual assault.
On Thursday, Dec. 16, The Hollywood Reporter published allegations from two women under pseudonyms. Zoe, 40, said the Sex and the City actor raped her in Los Angeles in 2004, when she was 22 years old. Lily, now 31, said she was sexually assaulted in New York in 2015, when she was 25 years old and Noth was 60.
Noth denies the allegations, telling E! News in a statement, "The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could've been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago—no always means no—that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual."
He added, "It's difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don't know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women."
After the women each came forward with their accusations, Peloton issued a statement about its collaboration with Noth. The fitness company recently partnered with him for a viral commercial centered around his character from the reboot, And Just Like That.
Peloton tells E! News in a statement, "Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously. We were unaware of these allegations when we featured Chris Noth in our response to HBO's reboot."
The brand says it has pulled the ad for the time being: "As we seek to learn more, we have stopped promoting this video and archived related social posts."
Peloton dropped its Christmas ad on Sunday, Dec. 12, just days after And Just Like That premiered. In the first episode, Noth's character Mr. Big dies after completing his 1,000th Peloton ride. The commercial saw his character reunite with his instructor, Jess King, who plays Allegra onscreen. "And just like that...he's alive," read a caption from the company.
On Dec. 16, THR published its report after speaking with the two women, who do not know each other.
Zoe told the outlet Noth invited her to spend time in the pool of his West Hollywood apartment in 2004. She said she accepted the invite and later entered his apartment. They allegedly kissed before he moved her toward the bed and allegedly raped her.
"It was very painful and I yelled out, ‘Stop!'" Zoe said. "And he didn't. I said, 'Can you at least get a condom?' and he laughed at me."
Lily said Noth asked her out in 2015 and, after having wine at a restaurant, they returned to his place. "We were listening to music, and he has all these books about art and fashion," she told THR. "He tried to make out with me. I cautiously entertained it. He's older and looked older. He kept trying and trying and trying, and I should have said no more firmly and left. And then the next thing I knew, he pulled down his pants and he was standing in front of me." He allegedly put his penis into her mouth and later began "having sex with me from the back in a chair. We were in front of a mirror. I was kind of crying as it happened," Lily said.
As part of their reporting, THR spoke with Zoe's former boss; Zoe's friend who said she sat in a jacuzzi with her and Noth; and Lily's friend Alex. The sources corroborated that Zoe and Lily discussed their alleged experiences with them, respectively, at the time. The outlet also reviewed texts between Noth and Lily.
Spokespeople for the LAPD and NYPD told E! News they do not have reports filed against Noth relating to the allegations. Noth's attorney, Andrew Brettler, told E! News in a statement, "No one from any law enforcement agency has contacted Chris or any of his representatives. Obviously if anyone does reach out, we will cooperate fully."
Read more about the allegations here.