Aziz Ansari responds to allegations of sexual misconduct

US comedian Aziz Ansari has responded to an allegation of sexual misconduct, saying that he said that he thought the encounter was ‘completely consensual’.

The star of Netflix series Master of None and NBC’s Parks & Recreation, was accused of repeatedly trying to initiate sex with a woman he went on a date with, despite her repeated signals that she did not want to.

The woman, who told the story under the pseudonym Grace to the website Babe, said that afterwards she felt that Ansari’s aggressive and persistent behaviour constituted a ‘sexual assault’.

In a statement, Ansari said: “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.”

Grace, a 23-year-old photographer from Brooklyn, said that she was taken to an upscale restaurant by Ansari after meeting him at an after-party for the 2017 Emmy Awards.

However, on returning to his apartment, she says that he became insistent on having sex with her, despite her becoming uncomfortable with the situation.

“I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested. I don’t think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored,” she said.

“I didn’t leave because I think I was stunned and shocked. This was not what I expected. I’d seen some of his shows and read excerpts from his book and I was not expecting a bad night at all, much less a violating night and a painful one.

“I cried the whole ride home. At that point I felt violated. That last hour was so out of my hand.

“It took a really long time for me to validate this as sexual assault. I was debating if this was an awkward sexual experience or sexual assault. And that’s why I confronted so many of my friends and listened to what they had to say, because I wanted validation that it was actually bad.”

She also provided the site with a screenshot of a text exchange between her and Ansari a few days after their date.

At the time, Ansari responded saying: “I’m so sad to hear this. Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I’m truly sorry.”

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