Aziz Ansari Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations In New York Show
"It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person."
Comedian Aziz Ansari has used a “pop-up” performance in New York to address the allegations of sexual misconduct that were levelled against him in January last year, saying he felt “humiliated and embarrassed” by the experience, but that he hopes it has helped make him “a better person”.
The Parks and Recreation and Master of None star was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman who alleged he tried to pressure her into sexual activity during a date, despite her indicating that she was uncomfortable. “I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested,” she told babe.net, the outlet which first published the allegations. “I don’t think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored.”
Ansari addressed the allegations at the time by saying that when the woman texted him the next day saying she had felt pressured, he was “surprised and concerned”. “I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said,” he said in a statement.
Since then, Ansari has kept a low public profile, up until the launch of his “Road to Nowhere” tour earlier this month. His performance in New York on Monday was part of this run of shows, and he used it to again address the allegations, beginning with a joke about being mistaken for Patriot Act host Hisan Minhaj by a fan.
“‘Oh, no, Aziz, right?’, Ansari recalled the fan saying, after realising his mistake. “Yeah, yeah, that’s me. ‘Master of None!’ Yeah, yeah, that’s me. ‘Parks and Rec!’ Yeah, yeah, that’s me. ‘Treat yourself!’ Yeah, yeah, that’s me. ‘And you had the whole thing come out last year — sexual misconduct?’ No, no, no, no, no, no, that’s Hasan!”
According to Vulture, Ansari’s voice then became sombre as he began to talk about the experience in more detail. He reportedly told the audience that he hasn’t spoken about it much because he wanted to reflect on what happened, and because it’s “terrifying to talk about”.
“There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way,” he said. “But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”
He also described talking to a male friend about it, and said that “if [the experience] has made not just me but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, that’s a good thing.”
h/t Vulture