Aziz Ansari addresses sexual misconduct claims in first UK comedy show since allegations broke
'Most of all, I felt terrible this person felt this way'
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Aziz Ansari has publicly reflected on accusations of sexual misconduct against him during his return to touring in London.
The comedian, who performed on Wednesday at Hammersmith Apollo, brought up allegations made in January 2018 by a photographer identified as Grace, who said a date with Ansari turned out to be “the worst night of [her] life”.
During his set, Ansari said he took time to process the allegations against him, which is partly why he hadn’t fully addressed them until he began his tour. He also called the accusations “a very scary thing to talk about”.
“I haven’t said much about the whole thing for a couple of reasons,” he began. “I know there are people that are curious about the whole thing and it’s a hard question to answer because I’ve felt so many things this past year. There are times I’ve felt very scared, there are times I’ve felt embarrassed, there are times I felt humiliated. But most of all, I felt terrible this person felt this way.”
“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.”
The comedian expressed the hope that the accusations will cause others to think more about consent.
In a story published by the website Babe.net last year, Grace described her discomfort during her encounter with Ansari, saying the comedian had “ignored clear non-verbal cues” and “kept going with advances”.
“Most of my discomfort was expressed in me pulling away and mumbling. I know that my hand stopped moving at some points,” she told the website. “I stopped moving my lips and turned cold.”
In a follow-up statement, Ansari said at the time that sexual activity ”by all indications was completely consensual”, adding: ”It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned.”
You can read a review of Ansari’s Hammersmith Apollo show here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments