When Mr Big suffered a fatal heart attack during the very first episode of Sex and the City's long-awaited spin-off, fans of the glitzy New York hit sensed something more sinister was afoot.
Not only had actor Chris Noth played the hunky entrepreneurial tycoon - and love interest of lead character Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker - since the 90s, but the close friendship bore between the cast was legendary.
The pair of leading lovers often appeared side by side on red carpets during breaks between seasons, alongside Carrie's on-screen gal pals Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon).
Suddenly, and around the same time that Big went into cardiac arrest whilst riding on his Peloton, it all stopped.
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It wouldn't be until several weeks after My Big's brutal assassination aired that fans caught wind as to why Noth, 71, had been written out of the script.
Word quickly spread that two anonymous women had come forward in 2021, claiming that the TV star had sexually assaulted them in separate incidents in 2004 and 2015 - allegations Noth slammed in response as 'categorically false'.
Since then, the Wisconsin actor has made no attempt at disguising the fact that he and ex-pals Parker, Cattrall, Davis and Nixon are no longer acquainted.
Despite this, in a bombshell new interview, Noth insisted he was glad to have been abandoned by the group - as well as the And Just Like That... writing team - when he was, regardless of the damage it has done to his reputation.
Appearing on the red carpet of the Blue Jacket Fashion Show in New York on Wednesday (4 Feb) he was asked by the Daily Mail how he felt to be killed off the spin-off, to which he bluntly replied: "Very good. I was very lucky."
Noth's admission comes just weeks after he told PEOPLE of the allegations against him: "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.
"It's difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out."
He continued: "I don't know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women."
Noth also addressed an interview Parker previously gave to The Hollywood Reporter, in which she claimed she'd cut contact after the accusations were made public. She said at the time: "I don’t even know if I’m ready to talk about it, but I don’t think - I wasn’t reacting as a producer."
On Parker's comments, Noth explained last month: "We’re not friends, I think that’s pretty obvious."
He also responded to a statement issued by co-stars Nixon and Davis, in which they claimed were 'deeply saddened' to hear of the allegations, adding:
"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."
Noth said of this: "The statement that they put out - which was nothing more than brand management, really - I don’t know, it was sad, it was disappointing, it was surprising. Because you need to call me and hear my side of this.
"You’ve known me for many years, and we’ve worked [together] for many years."
"What’s gained is good," Noth continued. "You know who your real friends are and who they’re not. That’s important to know.
"I just know if it had been on the other hand, I wouldn’t have done that."
Topics: Celebrity, Sarah Jessica Parker, US News
Rhianna Benson