Louis C.K. Returns to Stand-Up With Surprise New York Performance

On Sunday night, Louis C.K. made his first public appearance onstage at a comedy club since admitting to sexual misconduct last November, The New York Times reported.

C.K. made a surprise appearance at the Comedy Cellar in New York City, one of his regular haunts before he disappeared from the public eye after admitting to inappropriate conduct, including masturbating in front of women. 

According to the report, the disgraced comedian made an appearance at around 11 p.m. and performed a 15-minute set. He did not address the scandal that surrounds him during his performance. He was greeted with an ovation by the crowd. 

Following claims by five women of inappropriate conduct against C.K., and the comedian’s own admission of the alleged misconduct, C.K. last year lost his production deal with FX (home of his comedy series Louie) and was faced with the canceled release of I Love You, Daddy, a film he directed, wrote and stars in.

HBO similarly cut ties with him, and Netflix removed his specials from its streaming services.

“These stories are true,” C.K. said of the allegations after they were made public. “At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay 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 isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”

Aug. 28, 7:50 pm PST Updated to note that C.K.’s set occurred on Aug. 26.

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