Peloton pulls Mr Big ad as Chris Noth faces sexual assault claims
Peloton has pulled an ad featuring Chris Noth after the “Sex and the City” actor was accused of sexual assault in claims published by the Hollywood Reporter.
Peloton shares slumped by 16 per cent last week after a HBO Max show based on “Sex and the City” included a scene where Noth, who plays Mr Big, died after an arduous ride on a Peleton exercise bike. The company said it had not been informed the product would feature in Mr Big’s death.
Peleton quickly organised for a new advert to be made featuring Noth discussing the benefits of regular exercise with a company exercise instructor. The new advert was produced and narrated by Ryan Reynolds.
However, the ad has been pulled days after it aired amid allegations that Noth sexually assaulted two women.
A Peloton spokesperson today said the advert would no longer be promoted and social media posts were temporarily removed amid an ongoing investigation into the matter.
“Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously,” Peleton said in a statement. “We were unaware of these allegations when we featured Chris Noth in our response to HBO’s reboot.”
The Mr Big actor denies the allegations. In comments to Bloomberg Noth said: “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,” he added.
Peleton’s share price closed up 3.4 per cent yesterday.
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