Tara Wilson: who is actress and wife of Chris Noth - and has she responded to sexual assault allegations?

Sex and the City star Chris Noth has been accused by two women of sexual assault, something that the actor has said to be “categorically false”.

Noth has been married to Tara Wilson since 2012, with one of the women claiming that, in 2015, he said that “marriage is a sham” and that “monogamy is not real”.

This is what you need to know.

Who is Tara Wilson?

Wilson is a Canadian actress, playwright and beauty queen who held the Miss West Virginia title in 2000.

She graduated from New York City’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), and in 2019 wrote the play B.R.O.K.E.N code B.I.R.D switching. The play enjoyed a 16 day run at the Stephan Feury Theatre in LA in November 2019.

Regarding her play, Wilson told the AADA’s newsletter: “I feel very fortunate that I could use my words to craft this story.

“It is a story of race and identity, of promise and purpose, but perhaps more importantly, it is a story of the potency of being seen.”

Wilson and Noth have been married for nearly a decade, however much of their relationship has been kept out of the spotlight.

The pair met in 2001 when Wilson was working as a bartender at The Cutting Room, an establishment that Noth owned. The two have a 27 year age gap.

In 2009, Wilson and Noth went into business together, opening the tearoom Once Upon a Teacup in Ontario. They later opened another location, however that branch has since closed.

Also in 2009, Noth and Wilson got engaged and were married in 2012 in a ceremony held in Maui, Hawaii.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in 2013, Noth said: “We kept that marriage really tight. It was a remote spot, we didn’t tell anybody.

“It’s just private. I don’t get anything out of having anything about my family on the cover of a magazine.”

In the same interview, Noth revealed that he had received hate mail due to his interracial relationship with Wilson.

He said: “When I was in a play on Broadway two years ago, I’d occasionally get letters of outrage, usually from somewhere in Alabama or something, saying you know, “Don’t come down here with your wife”.”

Wilson has appeared in a handful of on screen roles, including on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2004 and in the 2009 film Frame of Mind, which also starred Noth.

Do Tara Wilson and Chris Noth have children?

The couple have two children together.

They welcomed their first child, Orion, in 2008, the year before they got engaged. At 4 years old, Orion acted as the ring bearer at Noth and Wilson’s 2012 wedding.

In 2020, Noth became a father for the second time at the age of 65. The actor announced the birth of their second son on Instagram in February, writing: “Down from the heavens comes out second son - Keats!”

Noth frequently posts pictures of his children on Instagram,

What are the allegations against Chris Noth?

There has been two allegations of sexual assault against the Sex and the City actor, which he has said are “categorically false”.

Noth is accused of sexually assaulting one woman in 2004 and another in 2015.

The two women making the claims did so anonymously via the Hollywood Reporter.

In a statement responding to the allegations, Noth questioned the timing of the accusations, which have been made in response to the actor reprising his role as Big in the new Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That.

He said: “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.

“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.”

According to police, Noth is “not under investigation at this point” regarding the sexual assault claims.

Noth’s And Just Like That co-stars released a statement signed by Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.

The statement, which was shared on social media, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth.

“We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences.

“We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it.”

A number of other women have also come forward with claims against the actor, including Zoe Lister-Jones, who worked with Noth on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

On Instagram, Lister-Jones posted a statement in which she described Noth as “a sexual predator”.

She wrote: “In my twenties I worked at a club in NY that Chris Noth owned and on the few occasions he would show up, he was consistently sexually inappropriate with a female promoter.

“That same year I was a guest star on Law and Order and it was his first episode returning as a detective after [Sex and The City].

“He was drunk on set. During my interrogation scene he had a 22 oz. of beer under the table that he would drink in between takes. In one take he got close to me, sniffed my neck, and whispered, “You smell good.” I didn’t say anything. My friend at the club never said anything. It’s so rare that we do.”

Lister-Smith goes on to say that her “experiences are small in comparison to the accounts of assault that have so bravely been shared” and ends the statement by writing “f**k Mr. Big”.

Since the allegations surfaced, Noth has been dropped by the CBS show The Equalizer and his Peloton ad has also been pulled.

Has Tara Wilson responded to the allegations?

While Wilson hasn’t made any public statements regarding the accusations, a source reportedly told The Sun that she is “very upset” and “not doing well” following the news.

The source said: “[Noth] may be non-monogamous, we have established that his wife didn’t know.

“If anything, he is guilty of that. She is in LA and is very upset... she’s not doing well.

“They planned to spend Christmas together but that is now unknown.”

The source added that there are “two sides to every story” and that the public need to know either side before judging.

They said: “The Chris I’ve met is not the Chris that’s being described by these women.

“All his friends are sticking by him. He is a flirt, but not a sleaze. He’s no Weinstein.

“I believe him and I believe it didn’t go down the way it’s allegedly portrayed.”

In photos taken on Tuesday (21 December), Wilson was seen without her wedding band or diamond engagement ring.

A source told Page Six: “Tara is upset and things are hanging by a thread.

“She just wants to protect the kids. That is her number one priority.”

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