Twitter

After years of blind items, bizarre stories, and speculation, five women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Louis C.K. in a bombshell report published in The New York Times earlier today. The premiere of his controversial new film I Love You, Daddy and a scheduled appearance by C.K. on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert were cancelled just hours before the story (which C.K. declined to comment for) ran. These five women – including comedians Dana Min Goodman, Julia Wolov, Abby Schachner, Rebecca Corry, and one who opted to remain anonymous – allege that C.K. “crossed a line into sexual misconduct”.

The encounters, which allegedly took place over a decade ago, all echo the unsubstantiated rumors about C.K. that have been circulating for years. Min Goodman and Wolov, a Chicago comedy duo, said that C.K. shocked them back in 2002 when he joked about taking out his penis and actually did it. “He proceeded to take all of his clothes off, and get completely naked, and started masturbating.”

The details in the report are chilling and mirror a blind item that ran in Gawker back in 2012 in which “our nation’s most hilarious stand-up comic and critically cherished sitcom auteur” was alleged to have invited two female comedians to his hotel room, blocked the door with his body, and masturbated while they watched.

Schachner claimed that when she called C.K. to invite him to one of her shows in 2003, she could hear him masturbating while they were on the phone. Corry’s experience on the set of a television show in 2005 was mired by C.K. asking if he could masturbate in front of her. (She declined his proposition). Courteney Cox and David Arquette, who were executive producing the show, both confirmed the incident. “My concern was to create an environment where Rebecca felt safe, protected and heard,” said Cox. While they did discuss stalling the show, Corry, decided to continue. The unnamed woman alleged that C.K. masturbated in his desk chair in front of her while they sat in his office and business went on outside. Her report was confirmed by a co-worker at The Chris Rock Show.

Astoundingly, the report also chronicles a series of apologies for these incidents made by C.K. to these women, also reported by the now-defunct Defamer back in 2015. The comedian reportedly sent emails and Facebook messages to these women, and also made a “shaky” phone call apology to Corry – but she didn’t buy it. “It is unfair he’s put me or anyone else in this position,” Corry said.

Like disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, C.K. seems to have functioned under the protection of complicity over the years. The Times reports that C.K.’s longtime manager, Dave Becky, pressured women in the comedy world not to spread stories about their encounters with C.K.

“…after years of unsubstantiated rumors about Louis C.K. masturbating in front of associates, women are coming forward to describe what they experienced. Even amid the current burst of sexual misconduct accusations against powerful men, the stories about Louis C.K. stand out because he has so few equals in comedy. In the years since the incidents the women describe, he has sold out Madison Square Garden eight times, created an Emmy-winning TV series, and accumulated the clout of a tastemaker and auteur, with the help of a manager who represents some of the biggest names in comedy.”

While C.K. has certainly been protected by other industry bigwigs over the years, Tig Notaro, who has long been linked to C.K. due to his releasing her comedy album in 2012 and executive producing her series One Mississippi, slammed C.K. for his actions on the record. “Sadly, I’ve come to learn that Louis C.K.’s victims are not only real, but many are actual friends of mine within the comedy community,” said Notaro. This isn’t the first time she’s commented on the accusations against C.K., either; earlier this year, she denounced C.K.’s involvement in her show, urging him to address the sexual misconduct rumors that were circulating. A scene from the series seems to directly mirror the experience of the unnamed woman in the Times’ report. Notaro admitted she felt “trapped” by her connection to C.K. and praised the women who came forward:

“Ms. Notaro said she was standing in support of those with the courage “to speak up against such a powerful figure,” she said, “as well as the multitude of women still out there, not quite ready to share their nightmares.””

I Love You, Daddy, C.K.’s controversial Woody Allen homage that depicts a teenage girl falling into a relationship with a much-older filmmaker shrouded by sex scandal allegations, is scheduled for release on November 17. As of this evening, the production company behind the film is “giving careful consideration to the timing and release of the film and continuing to review the situation.”