Louis C.K. Admits Sexual Misconduct Allegations Are True
Comedian Louis C.K. admitted today that allegations of sexual misconduct revealed Thursday in a New York Times article are true.
In a statement issued Friday afternoon, the comedian acknowledged that he had done what the women in the Times article had accused him of doing.
“These stories are true.”
The women had accused Louis C. K. of taking off his clothes and masturbating in front of them.
C.K. wrote that he convinced himself at the time he committed the acts that he was not doing anything the women did not want him to do.
“The power I had over those women is that they admired me. I wielded that power irresponsibly.”
The Times article and the reaction to it have already sent the comedian’s career on a downward spiral. Netflix canceled a Louis C.K. concert special while HBO removed C.K. from its upcoming Night of Too Many Stars special. HBO also removed all of C.K.’s concert specials from its On Demand service.
The New York premiere of C.K.’s movie, I Love You, Daddy, originally scheduled for Thursday, was abruptly canceled.
Two of C.K.’s accusers told the New York Times that the comedian invited them to his hotel room following a show and asked them if they minded if he took out his penis. The women thought it was a joke and laughed, but C.K. immediately began removing all of his clothing, not stopping until he was completely naked and proceeded to masturbate.
C.K.’s statement mentions several times how much these women admired him, but he added, “There is nothing about this I forgive myself for.”
C.K. said he wished he had provided a better example for the women who admired him.
The accusations against Louis C.K. are the latest in a string of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct allegations to be leveled against celebrities and politicians, including Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey, former MSNBC political analyst Mark Halperin, and Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.
C.K. had been involved in a number of successful projects over the last few years, including an FX series and his comedy specials and movies, but he has come under fire for some of his topics for humor, including a monologue he did while being the host on Saturday Night Live in which he joked about pedophilia.
[Featured Image by John Palmer/AP Images]
