Louis C.K.’s former manager Dave Becky has responded to allegations that he attempted to stifle discussion of the comedian’s sexually inappropriate behaviour, saying he misinterpreted one of the claims made against him.
In a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Becky referenced the experience of comedians Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, who in 2002 were faced by a masturbating C.K. in an Aspen, Colorado hotel room.
The women told The New York Times that they had attempted to speak openly about the incident at the time, but Wolov said “we could already feel the backlash” a day afterwards.
Lee Kernis, one of the womens’ managers, also told the Times that Becky said he was frustrated they were attempting to speak out.
“I profoundly regret and am deeply sorry for not listening to and not understanding what happened to Dana and Julia,” Becky said, adding he never threatened anyone to stay quiet about the incident.
“If I had, I would have taken this event as seriously as it deserved to be, and I would have confronted Louis, which would have been the right thing to do.”
Becky said he only heard the story “third-hand” and had interpreted it as a consensual incident between the comedians and a then-married C.K., but added “my intent was to seek discretion to protect what I thought was a matter of infidelity.
“I now comprehend that my response was perceived as a threat to cover-up sexual misconduct. This is not an excuse. What I did was wrong, and again, I am extremely sorry.”
Becky claims he was unaware of other accusations made against C.K., saying he cultivated an atmosphere of power and influence in the comedy sphere which meant “such news did not reach me, or worse yet, that it seemed such news did not matter to me.”
In addition to former client C.K., Becky also represents Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, and Amy Poehler, among others.
That kind of status in the comedy industry, and the fear of professional repercussion, has been pointed to as a contributing factor that may have shielded C.K. from the consequences of his actions.
Entertainment reporter Nicole Silverberg said she was asked to delete a tweet about C.K.’s actions before applying to a high-profile writing gig “because the people conducting the hiring process might not like it.”
https://twitter.com/nsilverberg/status/928713278305570817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pedestrian.tv%2Fnews%2Flouis-ck-sexual-misconduct-comedy-industry%2F
In closing, Becky said “I profoundly regret and am deeply sorry for not listening to and not understanding what happened to Dana and Julia.
“If I had, I would have taken this event as seriously as it deserved to be, and I would have confronted Louis, which would have been the right thing to do.”
You can read his full statement HERE.
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