During a “pop-up show” in New York on Monday, Aziz Ansari addressed the sexual misconduct accusations that were made against him in 2017.
“It’s a terrifying thing to talk about,” Ansari said, according to recap of the set from Vulture. “There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way.”
Monday night was the first time Ansari has publicly addressed the incident, beyond his initial statement a year ago after the story first came out. In 2017, a Brooklyn-based photographer told Babe.net she “felt violated” after a date with Ansari, describing a night in which she said he repeatedly pressured her for oral sex and intercourse, and at several points ignored her “clear non-verbal cues.” Ansari said that he believed everything that happened between him and the woman was consensual.
“After a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward,” Ansari continued in his set. “It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”
He added that the experience will hopefully make other men re-think how they approach intimacy with their partners. “If that 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.”
According to Vulture, Ansari’s set was in front of roughly 200 people at the Village Underground, the Comedy Cellar’s second venue.