Aziz Ansari Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations in New Special

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Jul 10, 2019

In early 2018, a woman referred to as “Grace” accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct. Nearly 18 months later, he’s back in the spotlight with a new Netflix standup special that addresses his alleged behavior, which Colorlines previously reported on:

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Grace said that the 34-year-old comedian repeatedly ignored verbal and nonverbal cues during a date last September. The allegations include Ansari repeatedly pulling Grace’s hand towards his genitalia, following her after she walked away from him, and shoving his fingers down her throat—all in defiance of her body language and requests to slow down. “I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested,” Grace said. “I don’t think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored.”


“After a year or so, I just hope it was a step forward,” Ansari says in “Aziz Ansari: Right Now,” released Tuesday (July 9). “It moved things forward for me, made me think about a lot. I hope I’ve become a better person.”

The rest of the show features jokes about racism, cultural appropriation and the trials of dealing with well-meaning White people. “Newly woke White people are exhausting,” he quips. “Things just don’t become racist when White people figure it out.” 

Watch the trailer: