A judge in Nova Scotia on Thursday dismissed a sexual assault charge against Mike Smith, the Canadian actor best known for playing the character Bubbles in the cult comedy television series “Trailer Park Boys,” after prosecutors did not present evidence in court.
The high-profile case against Mr. Smith, 54, who was accused last year of assaulting a woman in 2017 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, had been scheduled to go to trial on Thursday.
But the prosecution fizzled during a brief hearing in provincial court in Dartmouth, during which Mr. Smith’s lawyer asked Judge Jill Hartlen to dismiss the case because of a lack of evidence. She granted the request, according to a recording of the proceeding provided by the court.
The CBC reported on Thursday that Mr. Smith’s accuser declined to testify. It cited a statement from the woman, who told the news outlet on Wednesday that she was “unwilling to sacrifice my mental health” by appearing in court.
The Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service would not confirm the CBC report on Thursday when asked about the woman’s participation in the case.
“Crown attorneys have a continuing obligation to assess whether the prosecution standard is met,” the office said in a statement. “Following a review of the available information, the Crown concluded that the standard required (i.e. realistic prospect of conviction) to continue the prosecution was no longer met.”
On Thursday, Stan MacDonald, a lawyer for Mr. Smith, praised the dismissal.
“Mr. Smith is pleased that this matter is now behind him and he is ready to move forward,” Mr. MacDonald wrote in an email.
“Trailer Park Boys,” which debuted in 2001 and uses a documentary-style format similar to “The Office,” follows three petty felons and their neighbors in the fictional Sunnyvale trailer park. The series, which gave rise to movies and live performances featuring Mr. Smith and his co-stars, announced last year that a 13th season was coming in 2026. Those episodes have yet to be released.
After the charge against Mr. Smith was announced in November, Trailer Park Boys Inc. said that he had “stepped away” from his role with the show, which has built an audience outside Canada on Netflix and other streaming services.
On Thursday, Trailer Park Boys Inc. said in a statement on social media that Mr. Smith was “resuming his responsibilities” with the show now that he “had been cleared of this matter.” The production company said it would have no further comment.
In February, Mr. Smith pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault, a charge that the Halifax Regional Police said stemmed from a complaint from a woman in Dartmouth, where Mr. Smith lives. The authorities said that the offense had occurred in 2017.
Canada does not have a statute of limitations for the prosecution of sexual assault cases.
It was not clear when the woman had first accused Mr. Smith of sexual assault.
In Canada, a conviction on a sexual assault charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, or 14 years if the victim was under 16.
This was not the first time that Mr. Smith had been accused of wrongdoing.
In 2016, he was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after a “loud and heated dispute” with a woman at a Hollywood hotel, but the Los Angeles city attorney dropped the case, citing a lack of evidence, The Canadian Press reported at the time.
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