After being accused of sexual misconduct in 2017 by a 23-year-old photographer, actor and comedian Aziz Ansari responded to the allegations through a statement. His accuser, a woman identified only as 'Grace', claimed that she felt violated after a date with the creator and star of Netflix's award-winning show Master of None and what was supposed to be an exciting evening ended with her crying in a cab on her way back home.
Ansari, who was born in North Carolina to Tamil parents, has been previously lauded for being a voice of empowerment for people of color and other minority groups in the usually monochromatic world of Hollywood. His comedy routines and Netflix show regularly address issues of race, sexuality, religion, and power dynamics, while Ansari himself is often to referred as a "most woke bae". Besides making history by becoming the first Asian-American to win a Golden Globe for Best Actor (comedy or musical series) just last week, Ansari also proudly flaunted his Time's Up pin at the glitzy award ceremony.
Since Grace's interview was published in Babe, Ansari has come under fire from various groups and individuals who are calling him out over the incident. Since then, Ansari issued the below statement:“In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications 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. 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. It is necessary and long overdue.” - Aziz Ansari
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