American actor Aziz Ansari, of Parks and Recreation and Master of None fame, has been accused of sexual assault by a woman he went on a date with.
Earlier this week, the journalist who reported the story tweeted a link to her article on babe.net, and used the hashtags #MeToo and #TimesUp. The article has subsequently divided commentators online.
I talked to a girl who says she went on a date with @azizansari in an exclusive for @babedotnet. She told me, “It was by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had.” I believe her. #TimesUp #MeToo #AzizAnsari https://t.co/p7q0fjSsh0
— Katie Way (@k80way) January 13, 2018
The allegations.
A woman, using the pseudonym ‘Grace”, a 23-year-old photographer from Brooklyn, claims Ansari aggressively coerced her to perform sexual acts after she returned to his Tribeca apartment following dinner together last year. Grace claims Ansari pressured her into giving and receiving oral sex, repeatedly stuck his fingers into her mouth, and tried to stick his fingers in her vagina.
Grace tells babe.net that she “had to say no a lot. He wanted to get me drunk and then f*ck me.”After the incident, she texted a friend,“I’m taking a bath I’m really upset I feel weird.”
Grace claims that her experience with Ansari was a sexual assault. The following day, Grace texted Ansari,“You ignored clear non-verbal cues; you kept going with advances. I want to make sure you’re aware so maybe the next girl doesn’t have to cry on the ride home.”
Ansari’s response.
When Grace made Ansari aware of her feelings about their encounter, Ansari texted back, “I’m so sad to hear this. Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I’m truly sorry.”
Listen: We need to talk about Aziz Ansari
The 34 year-old comedian has now responded to the article through his publicist:
“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,” Ansari said.