Adam Deacon: what is the Kidulthood actor’s beef with Noel Clarke - and what did he say about him on Twitter?

Actor Adam Deacon has claimed to have been a victim of his former co-star Noel Clarke stating he sabotaged his career.

Deacon said he stands by the women who have recently come forward and accused Mr Clarke of sexual harassment, accusations which the actor has “vehemently” denied.

A total of 20 women who knew Clarke in a professional capacity came forward and made allegations about him to The Guardian newspaper, accusing him of sexual harassment, unwanted touching or groping, talking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent, and bullying, between 2004 and 2019.

The actor and producer has said he is “deeply sorry” for his actions and stated it has become clear to him that some of his actions have affected people in ways he “did not intend or realise”.

He said he will be seeking professional help, but has denied sexual misconduct or criminal behaviour.

Who is Adam Deacon?

Adam Deacon is a British film actor, rapper, writer and director, and was Noel Clarke’s co-star in the film Kidulthood.

He is best known for his lead role in the gritty break-out film in 2008 and its 2008 follow-up, Adulthood, which Clarke also directed.

The pair later had a public fall-out in 2010 over a spoof film Deacon wanted to make called Anuvahood, which was released the following year.

In 2015, Deacon was given a restraining order after being found guilty of harassment without violence after sending Clarke abusive messages on social media.

The court, which heard the actor had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had been self-medicating using skunk cannabis, then banned him from contacting Clarke again.

Clarke and Deacon are both previous winners of Bafta's rising star award, having received the honour in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

What has he said about Noel Clarke?

Deacon has accused his former co-star of bullying and sabotaging his career, alleging he was a victim of Clarke for 15 years.

He claims that the actor sabotaged his careers and that it was his “gaslighting” and “sociopathic” behaviour that led to the “complete breakdown” of his mental health. He added that those with mental health problems "should still be believed".

In a statement issued on Twitter, Deacon said he believed “every single word” of Clarke’s accusers, and said he wished people had taken more notice of his words when he spoke out about the actor previously.

The 38-year-old wrote: “I stand by all the women who have spoken out and told of their harrowing experiences with Noel Clarke.

“I wholeheartedly believe every single word and I hope that anyone who is yet to come forward with information will be listened to.

“I myself have been a victim of Noel Clarke for 15 years. My career was continually sabotaged and the gas lighting became so severe that it lead to the complete breakdown of my mental health.

“As you will know, I have spoken out regarding this man’s sociopathic behaviour on multiple occasions but my claims were always dismissed.

“People dealing with mental health may at times explain things differently, but they should still be believed. I only wish that everyone had taken more notice of my words.

“His horrific abuse of power could have been stopped before it affected so many others.”

Deacon added that the events of the past week had served as a “small vindication” and he is now looking forward to a “fresh start”, focussing his time on his acting career.

No investigation at the moment

Last week Clarke, 45, had his Bafta membership and outstanding British contribution to cinema award suspended following the allegations of sexual harassment published in The Guardian.

The allegations also led to ITV pulling the final episode of its new crime drama Viewpoint, in which Clarke played the leading role.

The Metropolitan Police have said they are assessing a third party report relating to claims of sexual offences committed by a male, after allegations were made against actor Noel Clarke.

In a statement, the police said no investigation is currently taking place.

A Metropolitan Police statement said on Saturday (1 May): “On Wednesday April 21, police received a third party report relating to allegations of sexual offences allegedly committed by a male over a period of time.

“Officers are currently assessing the information. There is no investigation at this time.”

The London School of Dramatic Acting (LSDA) also said in a statement on Friday (30 April) that Clarke was prevented from taking unsupervised sessions after he hosted an acting class where students were allegedly asked to undress as if they were getting ready to go to bed.

The school said it stopped scheduling Clarke to take unsupervised sessions after being informed about the claims.

Clarke denied the LDSA allegations through his lawyers.

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