Latest news with #LouisC.K.
New York Post
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Louis C.K. to headline New York Comedy Festival 8 years after sexual misconduct allegations
Can you call it a comeback? Comedian Louis C.K. is set to headline two nights of the New York Comedy Festival later this year – marking one of his first high-profile stand-up acts since being accused of sexual misconduct by five women back in 2017. Caroline Hirsch, the founder and owner of the New York Comedy Festival, announced the news in a statement on Monday, July 14. 7 Louis C.K. during the 10th Annual U.S. Comedy Arts Festival at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, Colorado. FilmMagic, Inc 7 Louis C.K. attends a boxing match at Radio City Music Hall in April 2013. Anthony J. Causi 'We're thrilled to unveil this year's incredible lineup – a dynamic mix of global headliners and rising voices that reflect where comedy is right now and where it's headed,' she told The Post. 'We're proud to continue to bring New York City the very best of the best.' 'In a constantly shifting landscape, we stay committed to spotlighting new voices, championing fresh perspectives, breaking form, and shaping a festival that sets the standard both creatively and commercially,' Hirsch added. C.K. is scheduled to perform his newest comedy special, 'Ridiculous,' at the Beacon Theater on Nov. 14 and 15 as part of the annual festival. 7 Louis C.K. arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills in February 2016. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Other headliners include Margaret Cho, Hannah Berner, Pete Holmes, Morgan Jay, Ryan Long, Trevor Wallace and Michael Blackson. 'Strangers With Candy' creators Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello will also host a reunion to mark the 25th anniversary of the sitcom's cancellation. The news that C.K. will headline two nights of the upcoming comedy festival comes nearly eight years after five women accused the 'Louis' creator of sexual misconduct in a bombshell New York Times exposé. 7 Louis C.K. performs at the Beacon Theatre on October 13, 2012, in New York City. WireImage The women claimed that the comedian exposed himself and masturbated in front of them without their consent, and C.K. later admitted to the allegations and issued a lengthy apology. 'These stories are true,' the comedian began. 'At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d–k without asking first, which is also true.' 'The power I had over these women is that they admired me,' C.K. added. 'And I wielded that power irresponsibly.' 7 Louis C.K. participates in the 'Better Things' panel during the FX Television Critics Association summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills in August 2017. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP FX, Netflix, Showtime and HBO quickly cut ties with C.K., and he joked in 2019 that he lost an estimated $35 million in income due to the scandal. However, despite his sudden fall from grace, the canceled comedian later returned to the spotlight to win a Grammy in 2022 for his 'Sincerely Louis C.K.' album. The 'American Hustle' star's award brought backlash, and one of his accusers spoke out after the surprising win. 7 Louis CK attends the 'Louis CK: Hilarious' premiere during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival at Library Center Theatre on January 26, 2010, in Park City, Utah. Getty Images 7 Julia Wolov arrives at the premiere of 'The Ridiculous 6' held at AMC Universal City Walk Stadium 18. Corbis via Getty Images 'Wouldn't it be nice if people would not be rewarded for bad behavior?' actress Julia Wolov, who was named in the exposé about C.K., said at the time. 'But what are you supposed to do?' 'These people voted for him. I guess that's what happens when comedy and music come together,' she added. 'I don't believe in cancel culture, but obviously, Louis is not canceled. He seems fine to me. He's touring. He's selling out. He's winning Grammys.' C.K. later returned to the stand-up circuit, too. He announced an international 2025-2026 tour, called the 'Ridiculous Tour', earlier this year. The Post has reached out to the New York Comedy Festival's organizers for comment.
HKFP
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- HKFP
Comedian Louis C.K. to perform in Hong Kong next March
US comedian Louis C.K. will perform in Hong Kong on March 24 next year. His 'Ridiculous' tour involves 100 gigs in the US this year, with Asian and European fixtures set for 2026. Tickets go on sale in August via his website, His team confirmed to HKFP on Monday that a previously announced Manila date would be replaced by the appearance in Hong Kong. He will also take to the stage in India, Thailand and Japan. 'Simply, I'm hitting the road again and staying out there for a long while. I am, after all, a professional stand-up comedian,' the multi-award winning comic wrote in an email to fans. C.K. rose to prominence as a writer for Saturday Night Live and late night talk show hosts. He released nine comedy albums, starred in numerous specials, and received acclaim for his semi-autobiographical comedy-drama series Louie. The comedian's projects were cancelled following sexual misconduct allegations in 2017. But he has since continued to tour and release stand-up specials.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Louis C.K. coming to Victory Theatre in August
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Louis C.K. announced his 2025 tour will include a stop at the Victory Theatre on August 30. Event organizers say Louis C.K. is a six-time Emmy Award and three-time Grammy Award winner. He has released over ten stand up specials. C.K. is the creator, writer, director and star of the Peabody Award winning shows 'Louie' and 'Horace and Pete.' C.K. also co-wrote, directed and appeared in the feature film 'Fourth of July,' released in theaters nationwide in July 2022. In January 2015, he became the first comedian to sell out Madison Square Garden three times for the same tour. UE Theatre continues its Spring 2025 season with 'Romeo and Juliet' Event organizers say Louis CK newsletter members will be able to access the first presale beginning February 26 at 10 a.m.. Presale for Venue subscribers begins on February 27 at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets go on-sale to the general public beginning February 28 at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets start at $39.75. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Louis C.K.'s downfall and surprising return to the standup stage
WARNING: This story contains details some readers may find distressing. He was once America's " king of comedy," with a growing media empire that included tours, TV shows and movies. For years, Louis C.K. was at the top of his game, with faithful fans who appreciated his edgy, confessional-style comedy routines. But in the fall of 2017, that all changed. Or did it? In the documentary Sorry/Not Sorry, comedy insiders and C.K.'s accusers speak out about the open secret that eventually brought him down. That is, until he worked his way back to the stage, selling out comedy shows and incorporating his sexual misconduct into routines. More than a decade's worth of allegations In November 2017, a front-page article in the New York Times spelled everything out: multiple women had accused Louis C.K. of sexual misconduct over a 15-year period. In 2002, Chicago comedians Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov were invited to C.K.'s hotel room for a nightcap. Once they were in his room, the comedian asked if he could take out his penis, then proceeded to strip naked and masturbate. Comedian Abby Schachner described how, in 2003, she could hear C.K. masturbating while she was on a phone call with him. In 2005, Rebecca Corry was in a TV pilot with C.K. when he asked if he could masturbate in front of her. Another woman says he masturbated in front of her in his office during a work day. In his routines, C.K. was known for calling out male hypocrisy. "He became this kind of unlikely moral conscience of the comedy world," says Melena Ryzik, a reporter with the New York Times who co-authored the article with journalists Jodi Kantor and Cara Buckley. In the documentary, many point out how ironic that was, given his actions off-stage. "Every comedian has their skeletons," says comedian and writer Michael Ian Black. "But I felt like … there's just a lot of hypocrisy around it because so many of us spend our careers trying to sort of hold the light up and be like, 'Hey, I'm telling the truth here. I'm the truth teller.'" Louis C.K.'s open secret 6 days ago Duration 2:45 'These stories are true' The day the article was set to be published, the New York premiere of C.K.'s new movie, I Love You, Daddy, was abruptly cancelled due to "unexpected circumstances." That night, once the Times had broken the story, Late Show host Stephen Colbert said the comedian had pulled out of his appearance on the program. The following day, C.K. released a statement confirming the allegations. "These stories are true," he said. "The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly." "What's nearly unique about the Louis C.K. story is that there is no factual dispute at the heart of this story," Kantor says in the film. "He didn't use the word 'sorry,'" says Noam Dworman, owner of the famed Comedy Cellar, "but he wrote a whole essay explaining that he knew he did something wrong." C.K. concluded his statement by saying he would "step back and take a long time to listen." But soon, actors, comedians and fans began downplaying the severity of C.K.'s conduct. Dave Chappelle even made light of the accusations in a Netflix comedy special. "I became the joke," says Schachner, referring to Chappelle's jokes involving Schachner's phone call with C.K. "It does bother me that, like, I'm not gonna live this down." "Making fun of the victims is still good for business," says comedy journalist Sean L. McCarthy in the documentary. And about nine months later, C.K. was back onstage telling jokes. A self-financed comeback When C.K. returned to comedy, he had new jokes about his sexual misconduct. "If you ever ask somebody, 'May I jerk off in front of you?' and they say yes, just say, 'Are you sure?' … and then if they say yes, just don't f--king do it," he quips in performance footage featured in the film. "You all have your 'thing' … you're so f--king lucky that I don't know what your thing is. Because everybody knows my thing." It was a marked shift from the tone of his public statement, notes comedian Jen Kirkman, who says C.K. also asked her about masturbating in front of her. "He framed it as a kink," she says. C.K. also included jokes about all the money he'd lost due to his misconduct — but he still had the ability to self-finance his own comeback in the industry. Many fans were happy to see the comedian back onstage and bought up tickets to his shows. C.K. then went on to self-release four comedy specials and win the Grammy for best comedy album in 2020. "You know, Louis is not on The Tonight Show, he's not on TV and Netflix," says comedian Aida Rodriguez. "He created his own thing outside of the business. The people who love Louis C.K. are still there." But there was never an apology, and Ryzik says that he only talked about the repercussions for himself and never for the women involved. Making light of Louis C.K.'s sexual misconduct 6 days ago Duration 1:28 'It just seems like nobody cares' "When you see women that are hurting and feel like they're crazy, because everyone's letting all these predators back while some never had a chance," says Kirkman in the documentary, "it really hurts, especially in this culture, where it just seems like nobody cares." In Sorry/Not Sorry, C.K.'s accusers share their experiences, including the professional and personal consequences of speaking out. "If something horrible has happened to you, why should it continue to hurt you when you bring it to light?" says Buckley. "That, to me, is kind of the more interesting question." The documentary also examines so-called cancel culture in the context of C.K.'s career. "Cancel culture, for me, was all a ruse, you know? Like, homophobia, transphobia, racism, misogyny — none of it went away … people are making money, money, money, right now doing it," says Rodriguez. "So what's the 'cancel culture'? Tell me what happened."
