Bafta almost pulled Prince William into Clarke storm
BAFTA has been accused of putting its reputation before victims after it emerged that bosses failed to tell Prince William about abuse allegations against Noel Clarke.
The Duke of Cambridge, who is the president of British Academy of Film and Television Arts, had planned to heap praise on the body just hours after it handed an award to the actor and producer.
The speech was due to go ahead even though the TV and film body had been made aware of lurid claims about Clarke’s behaviour two weeks earlier.
Prince William was only spared the potential embarrassment when he pulled out of the April 11 address due to the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, two days earlier.
The prince previously criticised the body’s lack of diversity when it put forward all-white shortlists for the major acting categories at last year’s awards.
Clarke, 45, is facing a possible police investigation after at least 20 women came forward to describe years of abuse. They accused Clarke of sexual harassment, unwanted groping, bullying and forcing actors to take part in nude auditions between 2004 and 2019.
Clarke, a married father-of-three who is best known for the Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood trilogy, and who also appeared in Doctor Who, has denied the accusations.
Bafta is under fire for deciding to honour Clarke despite the cloud of suspicion surrounding his behaviour.
The academy was contacted about the claims on March 29, almost a fortnight before Clarke was given the Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema award on April 10.
The Guardian reported that three senior industry figures contacted Bafta and the claims were passed to its chairman Krishnendu Majumdar.
But despite drafting in lawyers and speaking to Clarke, who denied the allegations, Bafta decided it did not have enough evidence to block the award. On the day before the awards, Mr Majumdar reportedly said: ‘People will say: “Bafta knew, and didn’t do anything about it.”
‘In the court of public opinion we are going to be… this will destroy us.’
Tracy-Ann Oberman, a former EastEnders actress and Bafta member, led criticism of the body yesterday in a message directed at Mr Majumdar.
She wrote on Twitter: ‘The more light shining on this whole saga, the more upsetting the handling of it. So many serious questions about the organisation more concerned with its optics. I hope lessons have been learnt.’
In a lengthy statement to its members, Bafta said it had acted ‘as quickly and supportively as we could’.
It added: ‘Due to the anonymous claims and the lack of firsthand specificity, we did not have sufficient grounds to take action.’
On Saturday, Scotland Yard called for potential victims to come forward. The Met said the allegations of sexual offences over a period of time were made by a ‘third party’ on April 21.
It came as actress Jahannah James said she had contacted police with accusations that Clarke has covertly filmed her at a naked audition. She tweeted: ‘I tried to go to the police, they said they couldn’t do anything unless he threatened me with the footage.’
Christina Chong, who starred alongside Clarke in police drama Bulletproof, said the claims were the ‘UK film industry’s best-kept secret for years’.
‘I hope lessons have been learnt’