Comedian Aziz Ansari has finally responded to sexual assault allegations.
Comedian Aziz Ansari has responded to allegations of sexual misconduct by a woman he dated last year.
Ansari said in a statement Sunday that he apologized last year when she told him about her discomfort during a sexual encounter in his apartment he said he believed to be consensual.
The woman, identified as a 23-year-old photographer in an interview with Babe.net, says she was furious when she saw Ansari was wearing a Time’s Up pin while accepting a Golden Globe on January 7.
She said it brought back memories of him assaulting her after a date in his apartment. The next day, Grace texted Ansari letting him know that she was upset with his behavior that night.
Ansari says he was surprised and apologized. Ansari gave a statement to USA Today about the said allegations which said that he had taken some time to process the accusations and had later reached out to the woman and apologised for the hurt he had caused.
“In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual.”
“The next day, I got a text from her saying that although ‘it may have seemed okay,’ upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. 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. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.”
“I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue,” the actor’s statement read.
(With inputs from AP)