Aziz Ansari referenced the sexual misconduct allegations he faced last year during his pop-up show in New York Monday.
The comedian said, according to Vulture: “There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way. But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”
He added, “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.
“And I think it also just gave me perspective on my life. There was a moment where I was scared that I’d never be able to do this again.”
Ansari’s latest comments come after he spoke about the accusations at the Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia.
It was revealed back in November that Ansari would be hitting the road, and despite not totally ignoring the accusations that hit headlines last year during his show, he doesn’t spend too much time going over it.
According to Page Six, a source said: “[There were] no jokes but [he] did briefly comment on it at the end of the set when thanking us for coming. It was a great show with some new material.”
Another insider added, “He addressed it briefly and somewhat in joke format, nothing specific, referencing it like ‘that story.’ Aziz was really, really good and some of the jokes seemed more introspective like he’s thought a lot about what all came out.”
Ansari’s career hit the pause button after an article was published on the Babe website at the start of 2018.
The article in question detailed the allegations of a 23-year-old woman who said she felt “violated” when she reluctantly agreed to have sex with the “Master of None” star when he coerced her into sexual acts following a dinner date.
In response to her story, Ansari released a statement admitting he was “surprised and concerned” by the woman’s claims.
“I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said,” he wrote at the time. “I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue.”
