Sexual assault case against ‘Trailer Park Boys’ actor Mike Smith dismissed

DARTMOUTH – The sexual assault case against the Nova Scotia-based actor known for playing Bubbles on the TV comedy “Trailer Park Boys” was dismissed Thursday after Crown lawyers said they would not be presenting any evidence.

The case was dismissed by provincial court Judge Jill Hartlen as Mike Smith’s three-day trial was about to begin.

Outside the courtroom, Crown prosecutor Bryson McDonald said an assessment of the case led to the determination that the “prosecution standard” had not been met. He declined to elaborate.

“We’re not going to go into specific facts or discuss prosecutorial discretion,” he said.

McDonald also declined to say whether the complainant was willing to testify during the trial. He said the Crown had originally anticipated that three witnesses would testify: the complainant, a civilian witness, and police officer.

“It is an ongoing assessment of whether the prosecution standard is met,” the lawyer said. “We evaluate at every step, and based on … the ongoing information and evidence that was provided to us (and) that keeps coming in throughout the process, that’s how we arrived at this determination.”

McDonald said the Crown determined this week it would not be presenting any evidence.

Smith had pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault stemming from an alleged incident in 2017. The actor was charged on Oct. 2, 2025.

Court documents did not provide details about the allegations. The complainant’s identity is protected from publication by a standard, court-ordered ban.

Smith’s lawyer, Stan MacDonald, told reporters that his client was pleased with the dismissal.

“Mr. Smith is pleased that this matter is now behind him, and he’s ready to move forward,” MacDonald said.

Nova Scotia-based Trailer Park Boys Inc., where Smith is listed as a director, issued a statement saying he will resume his responsibilities with the company. Other company directors include John Paul Tremblay, who plays Julian on the show, and Robert Wells, who plays Ricky.

Smith has had legal troubles before. In April 2016, he faced a battery charge in Los Angeles for an incident at a Hollywood hotel involving a woman. The misdemeanour domestic battery charge was dropped a month later.

At the time, the Los Angeles City attorney’s office said it decided not to pursue the charge due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Smith denied any wrongdoing in a written statement issued shortly after his arrest on April 1, 2016, saying the woman involved was a friend with whom he had a “loud and heated dispute.”

“At no time did I assault her,” Smith’s statement said. “I am not guilty of the misdemeanour charged against me.”

Not long after news of Smith’s arrest surfaced in 2016, his co-star at the time, Lucy DeCoutere, announced she was leaving the television show.

DeCoutere took to social media at the time to say: “If I find out that somebody is abusive, I cut them out of my life.” She later said she remained friends with the cast and crew of the show, despite saying her departure was linked to Smith’s arrest.

Trailer Park Boys Inc. announced in August that the company had completed filming for the show’s 13th season, which will coincide with the 25th anniversary of its debut.

The show is a mockumentary-style comedy set in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park, where Bubbles and his friends Julian and Ricky routinely get involved in get-rich-quick schemes that go awry.

The original show, created by Mike Clattenburg, ran for seven seasons before spawning four feature-length films, two spinoff series and a Christmas special. Meanwhile, Trailer Park Boys Inc. announced in July it was launching its own streaming service to host its content.

Many recognizable Canadian actors and directors have appeared on the show. John Dunsworth and Patrick Roach were part of the main cast, playing trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey and assistant Randy. Jonathan Torrens has appeared throughout the show’s run as fan-favourite J-Roc.

As well, a number of internationally known actors have been featured in several episodes, including Elliot Page, who played Treena Lahey in the early seasons. Tom Arnold and Brian Austin Green each appeared, and rapper Snoop Dogg guest-starred in five episodes.

Smith has won a Canadian Comedy Award and two Gemini Awards for his work on the show. He was also the guitarist for rock band Sandbox in the mid-1990s, when they were nominated for Best New Group at the Juno Awards in 1996.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026.