Louis C.K. returned to the stage last month, less than a year after admitting to multiple incidents of sexual misconduct. His 15-minute set at New York City’s Comedy Cellar noticeably featured no mention of his transgressions whatsoever, but he did manage to throw in a tasteless rape joke. So edgy!
Almost four weeks to the day, C.K. again swung by the Comedy Cellar to perform a surprise set late Sunday night. According to reports from Gothamist and Page Six, his standup routine again failed to include any reference to his history of inappropriate sexual behavior. “He didn’t address [the #MeToo allegations against him],” an attendee told Page Six. “He was a little arrogant … he made some comment like, ‘I’ve been off for a while, ‘cause everyone needs a break.'”
(Read: How Louis C.K. and the Rest of Us Failed in His Comeback Attempt)
Despite the backlash following C.K.’s comeback in August, his appearance last night was mostly well-received, per audio recordings obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. However, Gothamist noted that at least two people walked out during the set.
Others in the crowd later took to Twitter with disapproving commentary. One said C.K.’s “new material is just as bad as the old,” while another remarked that C.K. must not have gotten the memo about the controversial Brett Kavanaugh hearings.
Since C.K.’s set last month, Comedy Cellar has instilled a new policy regarding its shows and surprise guests, lest a disgraced comedian like C.K stop by. “Essentially ‘swim at your own risk,'” said venue owner Noam Dworman. “We don’t know who may pop in that’s not on the lineup. If someone does come in that you don’t want to see, you are free to leave, no questions asked and check completely on the house.”
In a New York Times article published in November 2017, five women accused C.K. of sexual misconduct. All five of his accusers worked with C.K. in some capacity, whether as aspiring comedians or on the sets of TV shows. They all made similar allegations against Louis C.K, detailing incidents in which he asked to masturbate in front of them — or physically did so without their consent. C.K. subsequently acknowledged that these allegations were true and apologized for his actions.
As a result of C.K.’s admission, both HBO and FX ended their working relationships with the comedian. Additionally, the release of his movie, Love You, Daddy, was canceled.