Aziz Ansari Hopes He's Become a "Better Person" Post Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Trigger Warning: This article discusses sexual misconduct.

In January 2018, an article was published accusing Master of None's Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct while on a date, and he subsequently became another figure to join the leagues of disgraced men in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

According to the article's source, Ansari had been pushy and she was left feeling "violated" after the date.

While he responded at the time to confirm that the events did occur (though he believed they were "completely consensual"), he offered a non-apology, of sorts, and quietly retreated from the public eye for much of 2018. Since then, Ansari's performed a string of shows but has carefully avoided the sexual misconduct allegation-shaped elephant in the room.

At his recent pop-up show in New York City, however, Ansari decided to publicly reflect on what transpired.

According to Vulture, he explained that he hadn't included it in his comedy routine earlier because it was too hard to talk about.

"It's a terrifying thing to talk about," Ansari explained to the audience.

"There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately, I just felt terrible this person felt this way.

"But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I've become a better person."

He later admitted that while he used to thank the crowd for coming to his shows before, he never truly meant it. So, now, that he's seen how he could've lost his career, he's more thankful than ever?

"You cancelled whatever you were supposed to do tonight, and you came out in the cold, and you waited in line, and you put your phone in a stupid pouch," Ansari said.

"You did all this s**t just to hear me talk for an hour and some change, and it means the world to me, so thank you so much."

Header Image: Netflix