Joel McHale Defends Aziz Ansari After Comedian Was Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
Comedian Aziz Ansari became an important topic for members of the Time's Up movement to speak on. The accusation against Ansari has brought up the poignant question of when is something considered assault or a simple misunderstanding. Ansari's accuser, known as "Grace," claimed on the website Babe that she felt uncomfortable after the two engaged in sexual activity while on a date.
Ansari did not deny this story and also stated that he spoke to the anonymous woman about the situation after she reached out to him. While the topic is still causing controversy, there have been a few that are coming to Ansari's defense.
McHale Defends Ansari
Television host and comedian Joel McHale is defending Ansari, stating that the situation sounded consensual to him.
"The problem is that people will read just the name and then just the accusation and they don't find out anything more than that, So that's the problem, but it sounds like it was consensual," McHale stated.
McHale does support the #MeToo movement and thinks it's important for women to speak on any misconduct they have endured.
"The #MeToo movement is tremendous, and is awesome and needs to happen and continue forever, but if someone had a bad date, then it's a bad date," he continued.
Ansari has not spoken since the accusation came out and was not present at the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Is #MeToo Becoming Too Much?
Ansari's accuser has sparked a heated debate among many who felt that "Grace's" claims were "reckless" and "harmful" to the Time's Up movement.
"You have chiseled away at a movement that I, along with all of my sisters in the workplace, have been dreaming of for decades, a movement that has finally changed an oversexed professional environment that I, too, have struggled through at times over the last 30 years in broadcasting," HLN host Ashleigh Banfiled stated.
Others who don't support either movement have made very clear their feelings towards the current sexual harassment allegations.
French actresses Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot publicly slammed the movement, calling it "hypocritical" and "ridiculous." Certain actors such as Matt Damon and Liam Nesson have stated that they felt a "witch-hunt" was taking place in Hollywood after the sexual assault allegations came out.
The allegations began after disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinsteinwas outed by over 80 women of sexual harassment, rape, and abuse. Following Weinstein, numerous powerful men in Hollywood were also accused by several entertainers of abusing their power to commit sexual crimes.
