Kathy Griffin has hit out at Louis CK after he returned to the comedy stage nine months after admitting to sexual misconduct.
Last November, the 50-year-old was accused by five women – one of whom remained anonymous – of masturbating either in front of them or during phone conversations, allegations Louis admitted to after the New York Times published them.
In spite of this, Louis returned to comedy this week when he was greeted with a standing ovation at the Comedy Cellar in New York City.
Comedian Kathy hit out at the boys club that allowed Louis back on stage and claimed that the Louie star just went on a long vacation.
The 57-year-old tweeted: You know how many talented women and POC comics are knocking on doors trying to get some time in front of audiences or powerful people in this business? And Louis just gets to glide back in on his own terms? Gosh, does it payoff to be in the boys club..the white boys club.
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Im so used to the boys club in comedy things like this dont shock me…but that doesnt mean situations like this dont make me angry and frustrated for the people who have struggled to be heard and seen in a business that appreciate diversity.
A) You know how many talented women and POC comics are knocking on doors trying to get some time in front of audiences or powerful people in this business? And Louis just gets to glide back in on his own terms? Gosh, does it payoff to be in the boys club..the white boys club https://t.co/hewlglA2a7
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
C) Just like executives at major companies have golf..which is where business gets done, men get promotions, but people who don't golf are left out…in the comedy business male comics hang out with each other and cover for each other. They write jokes, give each other gigs
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
E) Louis just went on a long vacation and didn't do anything to show that he has reformed/changed. He's a multi-millionaire who finally got some sleep after working nonstop for years. This is how we are making people are paying penance in the #MeToo era?
Fucking pathetic.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
Just like executives at major companies have golf..which is where business gets done, men get promotions, but people who dont golf are left out…in the comedy business male comics hang out with each other and cover for each other. They write jokes, give each other gigs.
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And they also cover up for each other. Its a sick, cruel cycle and right now I can only imagine what the survivors of Louis predation are thinking. All I know is we should all be outraged…the boys club won again…
Kathy continued: Louis just went on a long vacation and didnt do anything to show that he has reformed/changed. Hes a multi-millionaire who finally got some sleep after working nonstop for years. This is how we are making people are paying penance in the #MeToo era?
Fucking pathetic.
The stand-up star also retweeted criticism from other female comics and TV stars.
Writer Roxane Gay wrote: The more I think about Louis CK just strolling onto a stage to do a set, the angrier I get; while a tweet from Padma Lakshmi read: Not falling for this Louis CK “triumphant return” narrative after years of him humiliating women who worked for & with him.
Kathy also retweeted a post from Aparna Nancherla reading: Louis CK getting a standing ovation for dropping in to a comedy club less than a year after admitting to sexual misconduct tells you all you need to know about how society applauds powerful men for doing less than the minimum of decency.
Before the New York Times broke the story, Louis refused to talk about rumours of inappropriate behaviour on multiple occasions.
However, after the report emerged, he issued a statement admitting to sexual misconduct.
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He said: These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was OK because I never showed a woman my dick without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isnt a question. Its a predicament for them.
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The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly. I have been remorseful of my actions. And Ive tried to learn from them. And run from them. Now Im aware of the extent of the impact of my actions. I learned yesterday the extent to which I left these women who admired me feeling badly about themselves and cautious around other men who would never have put them in that position.
I also took advantage of the fact that I was widely admired in my and their community, which disabled them from sharing their story and brought hardship to them when they tried because people who look up to me didnt want to hear it. I didnt think that I was doing any of that because my position allowed me not to think about it.
Following his statement, the release of his film I Love You, Daddy was cancelled – with its star Chloe Moretz saying it should never see the light of day.
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HBO also stopped working with Louis, while Netflix removed his comedy specials from their streaming service.
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