SEX ACCUSATIONS SPELL TROUBLE FOR LOUIS C.K.
Newton-raised comic’s film premiere pulled
The premiere of Louis C.K.’s controversial new film, “I Love You, Daddy,” was canceled yesterday, just before The New York Times broke the news that five women are accusing the Newton-raised comic of sexual misconduct.
Female comedians Dana Min Goodman, Julia Wolov, Abby Schachner, Rebecca Corry and another anonymous woman came forward with allegations against the Emmy-winning comedian dating back to the ‘90s and early 2000s. All of the women accused C.K. of trying to masturbate in front of them — an act that C.K. was known to joke about during his standup acts.
In response to the Times’ request for an interview regarding the allegations, C.K.’s publicist, Lewis Kay, wrote, “Louis is not going to answer any questions.”
The movie premiere, which was slated to happen yesterday in New York, was scrapped at the last minute “due to unexpected circumstances,” according to an email from the film’s distribution company, the Orchard. C.K.’s scheduled appearance on CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” last night was also cancelled right before the Times story broke.
This isn’t the first time people have come out with accusations against C.K. Last year, Roseanne Barr called it. Amidst the rape accusations against fellow comedian Bill Cosby, Barr told The Daily Beast that C.K. was “about to get busted” for his alleged sexual transgressions.
Local comic Paul D’Angelo, who started his career at the same time as C.K. at an open mic at Stitches on Comm. Ave., told the Track he’s heard rumors before about Louis C.K. and his alleged “weird behavior.”
“A lot of the time, I just dismissed them because I didn’t know if they were true or not,” D’Angelo said. While the allegations might not surprise D’Angelo, he did say it’s disappointing for the comedy community when someone so revered for their craft becomes the center of a scandal.
“Comedy attracts its share of … interesting personalities,” D’Angelo said.
“You have Bill Cosby and Louis C.K., who are the biggest in the business. It’s kind of sad because these are the people you respect and that you looked up to,” he said. “You have to separate the art from the person, and it’s tough sometimes.”