Words by Roman White
Comedian and star of the Netflix series Master of None is the latest celebrity accused of sexual assault. In a scathing report by Babe.net, a 23-year-old who goes by the name Grace to protect her real identity accuses the Parks and Recreation actor of forcing her to perform oral sex. Aziz Ansari has denied that he assaulted the 23-year-old photographer and claims that the sexual encounter was consensual.
Grace who was 22 at the time, told Katie Way who wrote the article for Babe.net that she met Ansari at the 2017 Emmy Awards. The two of them bonded over using vintage cameras to take pictures at the award show and at the end of the night exchanged numbers to keep in touch. Grace says that not long after exchanging contact information, Aziz texted her to set up a date.
After the dinner date, the two of them went back to the 34-year-old’s Manhattan apartment for what Grace describes as a series of forced sexual encounters all the way from forced kissing, groping, and forced oral sex. Grace mentions that Ansari attempted multiple times to have sex with her before she asked the comedian to order her a car so she could go home.
Her account was supported in part by pictures she took with Aziz as well as text messages the two exchanged. The actor released a statement following the report confirming parts of the woman’s account:
“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.” – Aziz Ansari
Ansari has been a strong supporter of women’s rights in regard to sexual misconduct. At the recent Golden Globes Awards, Aziz was seen wearing a “Times Up” pin on his tuxedo to represent his support for the legal defense of women in sexual misconduct cases.
Ansari has also addressed sexual harassment in his stand up routines and denounced “creepy guys” who force themselves on women. No actions at this point have been taken against Aziz as this story continues to develop.
