Ansari said that any sexual activity with the 23-year-old woman who made the claims was “by all indications completely consensual”.
Aziz Ansari, the creator and star of the acclaimed Netflix comedy Master of None, has issued a response to allegations of sexual assault made against him by a 23-year-old woman in relation to an incident in September of last year.
In an article on the website babe.net, a 23-year-old woman, known only by the pseudonym ‘Grace’, told of a date with Ansari that she described as “by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had”.
In the article, she referred to a number of sexual acts that occurred in Ansari’s apartment despite her “physically giving off cues” that she wasn’t interested.
“I don’t think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored,” she said.
Grace also included details of text messages shared between the pair on the day after the date in which she outlined how uncomfortable she felt, with Ansari responding by saying how he was truly sorry and that he “misread things in the moment”.
This is the text Grace* sent Aziz Ansari after their date which left her feeling “violated”. She tells Ansari how uncomfortable he made her feel, saying “you ignored clear non-verbal cues” and “kept going with advances.”
Read the full story on https://t.co/FyMMG6uO1j. pic.twitter.com/lPOvW6tFTr
— babe (@babedotnet) January 14, 2018
The 23-year-old was prompted to reveal the details of the date after watching Ansari collect an award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for Master of None at the Golden Globes last weekend; Ansari wore a Time’s Up pin to the ceremony to support a movement against sexual harassment started earlier this year.
At the end of the article on babe.net, ‘Grace’ said: “I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz. I was not listened to and ignored. It was by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had.”
Ansari has since issued a response to the allegations in a statement to People, which read: “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.”
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