Diana Bradley
Dec 19, 2021

Peloton halts promotion of Chris Noth ad after sexual assault allegations against actor

The ad was applauded by PR and marketing pros this week for its quick response to Noth’s character dying of cardiac arrest in And Just Like That.

Peloton halts promotion of Chris Noth ad after sexual assault allegations against actor

Peloton has stopped promoting an ad starring Chris Noth after two women accused the actor of sexual assault.

It was not clear when Peloton deleted the tweet, but it was gone as of Thursday afternoon following media reports that two women have accused the Sex and the City star of sexual assault. By 3 p.m. EST, actor Ryan Reynolds, whose firm, Maximum Effort, created the Peloton ad starring Noth, also deleted the video from his Twitter account.

"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," Peloton said in a statement. "As we seek to learn more, we have stopped promoting this video and archived related social posts."

The exercise bike brand faced a crisis last week after Noth's character, John James "Mr. Big" Preston, died of a heart attack after riding a Peloton in the first episode of the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That.

On Sunday, Peloton released an ad in which Noth said he wants to "take another ride." The spot includes a voiceover from actor Ryan Reynolds, explaining that "regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels," before concluding — "he's alive." PR and marketing pros applauded Peloton's quick and savvy response to the crisis.

Noth's agent could not be reached immediately for comment. In a statement, the actor told The Hollywood Reporter: "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."

 

Source:
Campaign US

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