Master of None star Aziz Ansari has denied a woman’s claims of sexual misconduct while they were on a date, saying that the encounter was completely consensual ‘by all indications’ he had at the time.
Ansari, 34, spoke out with his side of the story on Sunday, one day after a 23-year-old photographer in New York shared her allegations about their September date with the women’s website Babe.
‘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,’ Ansari acknowledged in a statement to Variety.
‘We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual,’ Ansari said.
‘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,’ he said.
‘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,’ he said. ‘It is necessary and long overdue.’
Photo cred: Variety