Louis C.K. might continue to draw criticism as he attempts to put his career back on track following his sexual misconduct scandal, but fellow comedian Janeane Garofalo has his back.
Garofalo came to C.K.’s defense during a recent interview with Bust’s Poptarts podcast, saying that he “has paid heavily, heavily … his family has paid heavily.”
“Leave Louis C.K. alone. Enough with that,” Garofalo said. “He’s been my friend — and I stand by that — he’s been my friend since 1985, and I think he has suffered.”
C.K. experienced significant career fallout after admitting to accusations of sexual misconduct, and his subsequent returns to the stage have been marked by criticism. In December, the comedian came under fire for a performance at the Comedy Cellar, during which he joked about the survivors of the Parkland school shooting.
As Garofalo saw it, nobody is forced to sit through C.K.’s performance if it — or he — offends them.
“Oh my God. Do you know how much offensive material goes on at the Comedy Cellar?” Garofalo said. “You know what? If you don’t want to listen to him, get up and leave the room. You are acting like Mussolini has walked into the room, and it is not. This is a human being.”
Garofalo contended that, if people can’t muster sympathy for the comedian himself, they could at least take his daughters into consideration.
“When he performs at the Comedy Cellar and people get all irate … if nothing else, care about his daughters. If nothing else — if you can find no compassion for him, which I think you should — think about how his daughters, who hear all of this stuff, feel. Why don’t you leave him alone for them if you’re so women-empowering?” Garofalo asked.
Listen to the full podcast here.