LOS ANGELES, Jan 15 — Golden Globe winner Aziz Ansari has issued a statement in response to allegations of sexual assault that emerged over the weekend.
A 23-year-old New York photographer, speaking anonymously to the site Babe, recounted an uncomfortable sexual encounter with the Master of None comedian and actor.
She claimed Ansari ignored her repeated requests to slow down the physical nature of their relationship during a date last September, which left her feeling “victimised.”
The woman described repeated acts of physical coercion, in which Ansari pressed her to perform various sex acts.
“I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz,” she said. “I was not listened to and ignored. It was by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had.”
The site also shared a screencap of a text the woman says she sent to Ansari, informing him that he “ignored clear non-verbal cues” and that she wants him to be aware “so maybe the next girl doesn’t have to cry on the ride home.”
At the time, Ansari responded: “Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I’m truly sorry.”
Yesterday, Ansari issued a statement via Pitchfork confirming the basic details of the woman’s account: That they met at a post-Emmys party in September of last year, exchanged numbers, texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. They had dinner together, and afterwards, ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications, he said, “was completely consensual.”
“The next day, I got a text from her saying that although ‘it may have seemed okay,’ upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable,” Ansari wrote in a statement. “It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.”
“I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture,” he added. “It is necessary and long overdue.”
