Louis C.K. Slammed for Returning to Stand-Up Stage After Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Ace Showbiz Staff
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AceShowbiz - Louis C.K. returned to stand-up stage less than a year after he admitted to sexually harassing five women. The 50-year-old comedian made his surprise performance at Comedy Cellar on Sunday night, August 26. While the audience at the club gave him a round of applause, many people on social media weren't happy about his comeback.
"We don't need Louis CK. We don't need sexual predators. If you're willing to forgive a sexual predator because he made you laugh a few times, maybe you need to reassess your priorities," a Twitter user wrote.
"Multiple women Louis CK pulled his d**k out in front of lost opportunities to pursue their careers because this guy and his enablers wanted to keep them quiet," another one added, addressing the discrimination against women.
"F**k Louis CK. Sexual assault is a serious crime that women face everywhere. Anyone who abuses someone and puts them in an unsafe situation deserves no forgiveness, no redemption, and zero tolerance," an individual said.
Learning about Louis' return to the stage, fellow comedian Kathy Griffin also took to Twitter to reveal that discrimination against women still exists in society. "You know how many talented women and POC comics are knocking on doors trying to get some time in front of audiences or powerful people in this business? And Louis just gets to glide back in on his own terms? Gosh, does it payoff to be in the boys club..the white boys club," the 57-year-old comic and actress wrote in a series of tweets.
Kathy then continued to talk about the "cruel cycle" in society, "In the comedy business male comics hang out with each other and cover for each other. They write jokes, give each other gigs. And they also cover up for each other. It's a sick, cruel cycle and right now I can only imagine what the survivors of Louis' predation are thinking."
Back in November 2017, Louis admitted to exposing himself and masturbating in front of some women. "At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d**k without asking first, which is also true," he said in a statement.
"But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d**k isn't a question. It's a predicament for them," the father of two explained. "The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly."
"There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for. And I have to reconcile it with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with," he continued. "I wish I had reacted to their admiration of me by being a good example to them as a man and given them some guidance as a comedian, including because I admired their work."
Louis C.K. 'rape whistle' joke made two women uncomfortable: report
By Amy Lieu | Fox News
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Louis C.K. is accused of making a joke about rape whistles on his Sunday night performance in New York City, according to two women who reportedly were uncomfortable with the bit.
It was the comedian's first public performance since allegations against him emerged from a New York Times report. He released an official statement to Fox News in November admitting to sexually harassing five women.
The two unnamed women who sat for C.K.'s Sunday set said it was "similar to his usual material," Vulture reported, but included a play on the phrase "clean as a whistle" leading up to a joke about rape whistles not being clean.
"When he said 'rape whistle' people were laughing, and I was just sitting there like oh my [expletive]," the women told Vulture. "This is so uncomfortable and so disgusting. Everyone around me was laughing. That was just depressing."
The women reportedly said that men and women reacted differently to his presence.
"It felt like there were a lot of aggressive men in the audience and very quiet women," she told Vulture. "It’s the kind of vibe that doesn’t allow for a dissenting voice. You’re just expected to be a good audience member. You’re considered a bad sport if you speak out."
One man shouted that it was "good to have [C.K.] back," the women said.
"Our voice is definitely not going to be prioritized in that space," one of the women told the publication. "How do you think the women in that room felt? It's just really frustrating."
Fox News reached out early Thursday to the comedy club where C.K. performed, and was told "no comment." The person who answered the phone said he'd pass on the reporter's information.
Comedians Dana Min Goodman, Abby Schachner, Julia Wolov and Rebecca Corry in November alleged that the comedian either pleasured himself in front of them, asked to do it or did so over the phone. A fifth woman detailed her allegations against C.K. to The New York Times but was not identified.
In his official statement at the time, he expressed remorse, saying he "wielded" his power "irresponsibly."
