Sarah Silverman Helped Louis C.K.’s Daughter Rationalize His Actions

Comedian Sarah Silverman delivered an impassionate monologue last year on her show I Love You, America after her long-time friend, Louis C.K. was accused of sexual misconduct. According to Vulture, the comedian reasoned that one can still love a person even after learning they had committed terrible acts, like sexual assault. In a recent interview at the Paley Center for Media, Silverman said that C.K. called her recently and said that her monologue had helped his daughter deal with the allegations.

“I will say — and I hope this is OK to say — that after I did that [monologue], he called me. And he said it really helped one of his daughters to understand. He showed it to him and she said, I can love you even though you did bad things. And we cried. It was a small silver lining in a very bleak story,” Silverman said. The comedian was also asked about C.K.’s attempt at returning to stand up. C.K. recently did a set at the Comedy Cellar and though the act drew applause, it was also met with ire.

“I think he wronged people and my guess is he thought he could sneak on stage and try a few minutes. I understand the backlash of it,” Silverman said. She added that she felt that C.K. should have addressed the allegations during his set.

According to The New York Times, C.K. was accused by five women of sexual misconduct. The women, most of whom are fellow comedians, said that C.K. pleasured himself in front of them and wouldn’t allow them to leave the room. Two days after the Times released their story about the accusations, the comedian released a statement admitting to sexual misconduct.

In the statement, C.K. acknowledges the power dynamic he had with the women he exposed himself to. He said that even though he gained consent, his power over them meant that their consent was issued out of their admiration for him, not out of desire. “I wielded that power irresponsibly. I have been remorseful of my actions. And I’ve tried to learn from them. And run from them.”

Additionally, C.K. apologized in his statement and said that he planned to take a step back and listen. Many were surprised when C.K. appeared at the Comedy Cellar after just nine months away from the spotlight. The hashtag #Louisck surfaced after his set, with many debating C.K.’s return.

One Twitter user said: “I’m pretty sure every guy who is defending Louis Ck’s return are the same guys who didn’t give a s**t that he did it to begin with.” another said: “#LouisCK is performing again. If he seeks or deserves redemption isn’t for me to say. I hope he does the right thing, & I hope that comes from a place of sincere regret and not simply careerist damage control. That’s all out of my hands. I only control if I’ll go see his show.”