An attorney representing Trailer Park Boys star Mike Smith is speaking out after the actor was charged with sexual assault.
“Well, what I’m going to say is, this is an allegation at this point. It hasn’t been proven,” Smith’s lawyer Stan MacDonald told reporters outside the Halifax Provincial Court on Monday, November 10. “It’ll be tried in the court, it won’t be tried in the media.”
The attorney added, “In the meantime, we ask that the privacy of everyone involved be respected. So that’s all I want to say today. Thank you.”
According to Canada’s Global News, Smith has been charged with sexual assault in connection to an alleged incident that took place in December 2017. Court documents obtained by the news outlet indicate Smith was charged by Halifax Regional Police on October 2.
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Senior Crown attorney Nicole Ford explained to reporters why Smith was charged many years after the alleged incident took place.
“It is actually quite common for charges of sexual violence to come out later on into years following the alleged incident,” she noted. “That’s not uncommon. We do see that regularly, and that’s why there’s no limitation for sexual violence.”
Ford confirmed that there is one female complainant in the case. Her identity will be protected under a publication ban.
Smith played Bubbles in more than 100 episodes of Trailer Park Boys since its premiere in April 2001. The actor also reprised his role in four feature-length spinoff movies and Netflix’s Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series.
Ford made it clear that Smith will be treated like anyone else in court — regardless of his success as an actor.
“Every person, no matter of their public status or their public personality or anything to do with their public nature or profile, doesn’t get treated any differently than any other individual,” she said. “We at the PPS (Public Prosecution Service) take every file very seriously. We evaluate every file the same way for each individual person and we maintain our integrity of the investigation separately and we do not provide any type of special treatment to anyone based on their public profile.”
Us Weekly has reached out to MacDonald for additional comment.
Since Smith’s legal troubles arose, the Trailer Park Boys team confirmed that the actor had “stepped away” from his role as managing director of their production company, Trailer Park Boys Inc.
“We are aware of the allegation concerning Mike Smith dating back to 2017 and take such matters seriously,” a Trailer Park Boys Inc. statement read. “We recognize how difficult an allegation of this nature is for all involved. Out of respect for the legal process, we will not comment further on the case.”
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In April, Deadline reported that Smith and other veteran Trailer Park Boys cast members were reuniting to make season 13 after a seven-year hiatus.
A Trailer Park Boys Inc. representative told CBC News that the production team were still “focused on delivering the long-awaited 13th season for our fans.”
Smith’s next court date is set for December 3. At that time, he will be able to enter a plea.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).