Yet another celebrity has been accused of sexual assault/misconduct in Hollywood. In an expose by the New York Times, investigative reporter Jodi Kanter (who co-broke the Harvey Weinstein story) alleges that the Comedian and Actor would expose himself and masturbate in front of women in the industry, including some fellow Comedians. The article was based on 5 women, who have had separate interactions with C.K, all leading to this type of behaviour.
After years of unsubstantial rumours surrounding Louis C.K and similar incidents, the women finally spoke out on the matter and their experiences with the comedian. Unfortunately, these are stories we hear far too often in Hollywood. A man using his position of power to undermine people, predominately women and predominately, sexually. Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and now Louis C.K have their careers in jeopardy because of the heinous acts they are alleged to have committed. With that being said, below are the stories of the 5 women involved in the Louis C.K situation (Via The Hollywood Reporter):
Goodman and Wolov said they thought it was a joke when C.K. asked if he could take out his penis during a nightcap in his Aspen hotel room in 2002. “Then he really did it,” said Goodman. “He proceeded to take all of his clothes off, and get completely naked, and started masturbating.” The duo said that when they openly told people about the incident, in hopes of inciting outrage about the comic, they heard C.K.’s manager David Becky was upset with them and they feared their careers could be in jeopardy. They still feel the backlash today. (Becky told the Times he “never threatened anyone.”)
When Schachner invited C.K. to one of her 2003 comedy shows, she said she could hear him masturbating as they spoke from inside his office on the Fox series Cedric the Entertainer Presents. He started telling her about his sexual fantasies, breathing heavily and talking softly, she claims, and says the call went on for several minutes even though she “definitely wasn’t encouraging it.” She added, “You want to believe it’s not happening.”
Corry recalled how the star asked if he could masturbate in front of her while they were appearing together on a 2005 television pilot. When she pointed out that he had a daughter and pregnant wife, “his face got red and he told me he had issues.” The show’s producers, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, confirmed the incident and though they discussed halting production, they ultimately continued with the show. “What happened to Rebecca on that set was awful,” said Cox, adding that she felt “outrage and shock.” “My concern was to create an environment where Rebecca felt safe, protected and heard,” said Cox. Corry said she also received a later apology from C.K., who told her, “I used to misread people back then.”
A fifth woman spoke out anonymously, claiming that in the late 1990s when she was in her early 20s and working in production at The Chris Rock Show, writer and producer C.K. asked her repeatedly to watch him masturbate. “It was something that I knew was wrong,” said the woman of sitting in his office while he masturbated in his desk chair during a workday, with others just outside the door. “He abused his power,” she said.
With stories like this seemingly coming out everyday, Women in Film (WIF) have taken it upon themselves to ensure the protection of women against sexual harassment, setting up hot-lines and legal aid services. According to Deadline:
Women in Film (WIF) is starting a sexual harassment Help Line and Pro-Bono legal service to assist those in the entertainment industry who’ve encountered any mistreatment in the past. The service is expected to be operational as of Dec. 1 and be available every day throughout the year.
