Disgraced and facing financial and professional fallout over allegations of sexual misconduct, comedian Louis C.K. issued a statement Friday in which he acknowledged accounts of him masturbating in front of colleagues are true and expressed remorse for wielding his influence 鈥渋rresponsibly.鈥�
The comedian said the harassment claims by five women detailed in a New York Times report published Thursday 鈥渁re true鈥� and that he 鈥渃an hardly wrap my head around the scope of hurt I brought on them.鈥�
鈥淭here is nothing about this that I forgive myself for,鈥� he wrote. 鈥� And I have to reconcile it with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.鈥�
He apologized to the cast and crew of several projects he鈥檚 been working on, his family, children and friends, his manager and the FX network, among others.
The 438-word statement ends with the comedian vowing to stop talking and leave the spotlight, sating 鈥淚 will now step back and take a long time to listen.鈥�
The comedian stepped forward on the same day the indie distributor The Orchard said it will scrap the release of C.K.鈥檚 film 鈥淚 Love You, Daddy.鈥� C.K. has already been edited out of the upcoming HBO benefit 鈥淣ight of Too Many Stars鈥� and his work is being scrubbed from the cable network鈥檚 vaults.
More fallout came Friday when Netflix said it will not produce a second planned standup special starring the comedian, citing his 鈥渦nprofessional and inappropriate behaviour.鈥� He had been tapped for two specials, with the first airing in April. At least five of the comedian鈥檚 stand-up specials remain on Netflix.
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C.K. is the latest high-profile man caught in a flood of accusations that began after an October report in the New York Times alleging that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed or assaulted several women. Others who face sexual harassment or assault accusations include 鈥淗ouse of Cards鈥� star Kevin Spacey and filmmaker Brett Ratner.
The widening allegations have also reached former 鈥淕ossip Girl鈥� actor Ed Westwick. The BBC scrapped a TV series in the wake of rape allegations against Westwick. The broadcaster also paused filming on the 1980s-set sitcom 鈥淲hite Gold,鈥� which stars Westwick. He has been accused of raping two women, charges he denies. On Instagram, he called the allegations 鈥渦nverified and provably untrue.鈥�
Actor Jeremy Piven also took to social media to once again declare his innocence of sexual misconduct, saying on Twitter he hopes the string of sexual harassment allegations will lead to 鈥渁 constructive dialogue on these issues鈥� but warned about 鈥渇alse accusations.鈥�
鈥淲e seem to be entering dark times 鈥� allegations are being printed as facts and lives are being put in jeopardy without a hearing, due process or evidence. I hope we can give people the benefit of the doubt before we rush to judgment,鈥� he wrote.
Piven, who has been accused by two women of sexual misconduct, faces a fresh accusation made against him from an advertising executive. Tiffany Bacon Scourby told People magazine that Piven held her down while he performed a sex act at a hotel 14 years ago.
Jenny McCarthy also reiterated an allegation she made against Seagal, saying she fled from a 1995 audition with Seagal after he repeatedly asked her to take off her clothes for a part that didn鈥檛 require nudity.
The former Playboy model recounted her encounter with Seagal during a tryout for 鈥淯nder Siege 2鈥� on her Sirius XM radio show Thursday, a day after actress Portia de Rossi accused Seagal of unzipping his pants during an audition.
McCarthy said Seagal was the only person in the room when she showed up to read for her part, she said. After declining his invitation to sit next to him on a couch, McCarthy, who said she purposefully wore a loose-fitting garment to the audition so the focus would be on her acting instead of her body, said Seagal asked her to remove her clothes. When McCarthy countered that she was told the part didn鈥檛 require her to be naked, she said Seagal told her that it involved 鈥渙ff-camera nudity.鈥�
鈥淚 know you must have a beautiful body underneath there. Can you lower it so I can see your breasts,鈥� she recalled Seagal saying.
A representative for Seagal didn鈥檛 immediately return a request for comment Friday, but a Seagal spokesman has denied McCarthy鈥檚 accusations to The Daily Beast. McCarthy told the same story to Movieline in 1998.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
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