Louis C.K. Admits to Masturbating in Front of Women: ‘These Stories are True’

Actor-comedian Louis C.K. admitted in a lengthy letter published Friday that he’s masturbated in front of multiple women, mere months after calling any sexual misconduct allegations against him “rumors.”

“I want to address the stories told to the New York Times by five women named Abby, Rebecca, Dana, Julia who felt able to name themselves and one who did not,” C.K. wrote, referencing the women who came forward this week in a New York Times exposé and accused the left-wing comic of undressing and masturbating in front of them.

“These stories are true,” C.K. wrote. “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.”

C.K. said, “I learned yesterday the extent to which I left these women who admired me feeling badly about themselves and cautious around other men who would never have put them in that position.” However, in September, he downplayed the long-running whispers that he behaved inappropriately around women.

“I’m not going to answer to that stuff, because they’re rumors,” C.K. told The New York Times. “If you actually participate in a rumor, you make it bigger and you make it real.”

Now, the Louie star says “I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen.”

In a matter of days, C.K.’s decades of Hollywood dominance, on-stage, in front of and behind the camera, was being wiped away. HBO has stripped C.K.’s content from its on-demand platform and canceled his appearance for the network’s annual Night of Too Many Stars benefit concert. His eight-year relationship with FX, the network where he has a massive overall deal, and that birthed five seasons of his Emmy-winning series Louie, is under review. C.K.’s latest film, I Love You, Daddy, which he wrote, directed, and stars, won’t be released one week before it was planned to. Netflix has also axed its planned stand-up special with the disgraced star.

C.K.’s collapse comes amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood and media heavyweights, including disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, James Tobeck, Mark Halprin, Rick Najera, and Michael Oreskes.

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson