Less than a year after Louis C.K. admitted to sexually harassing women, he’s performing in public again. In November of 2017, about a month after the first accusations against Harvey Weinstein broke and the #MeToo movement began to take off, five women — mostly comedians who were still developing their careers — told the New York Times that C.K. had either asked them to watch him masturbate or forced them to watch while he did so. The report came after years of unsubstantiated rumors that C.K. had made a practice of using his institutional power to sexually harass women comedians, and C.K. confirmed the story almost at once. “These stories are true,” he said in a statement released the day after the report was published. “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. faced no legal ramifications for his actions, but there were some immediate professional consequences. Netflix dropped his standup special, and HBO and FX both cut ties with him. His movie I Love You, Daddy — in which C.K. plays a father struggling to handle his teenage daughter’s relationship with a man 50 years her senior — was shelved. Nine months later, C.K. appears to be ready to move back into the spotlight. On Monday night, he made a surprise appearance at New York’s celebrated Comedy Cellar, a comedy club where famous comedians like to workshop their new material. (It also featured prominently in the opening for C.K.’s FX series Louie.) C.K.’s appearance was unannounced, the New York Times reports, and the audience greeted him with a standing ovation. C.K. reportedly spent his 15-minute set playing around with new jokes and did not address the accusations against him. Another comedian at the Cellar on Sunday night described the set to the New York Times as “like, classic Louis, really really good.” “There can’t be a permanent life sentence on someone who does something wrong,” said Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman. “I think we’ll be better off as a society if we stop looking to the bottlenecks of distribution — Twitter, Netflix, Facebook or comedy clubs — to filter the world for us.” The Comedy Cellar was also the site of Aziz Ansari’s first public performance in May after he was accused of sexual misconduct. At the time, Dworman said that he would welcome C.K. back to the stage. “When Louis wants to go on, we’re sure he’ll do it in a way that shows respect for the seriousness of the issue and will maybe be confessional in some way,” Dworman said. “We’ll put him on if he chooses to do it at the Cellar. It will be dicey and we’ll get some flack.” Also in May, the comedian Rebecca Corry, who was one of the women who spoke on the record about being harassed by C.K., wrote an impassioned essay for Vulture about the way her life has changed since she came forward. “Since speaking out, I’ve experienced vicious and swift backlash from women and men, in and out of the comedy community. I’ve received death threats, been berated, judged, ridiculed, dismissed, shamed, and attacked​,” she wrote. Corry closed her essay by addressing the question of whether she thought C.K. should be allowed to make a comeback. “The idea that C.K. reentering the public eye would ever be considered a ‘comeback’ story is disturbing,” she wrote. “The guy exploited his position of power to abuse women. A ‘comeback’ implies he’s the underdog and victim, and he is neither. C.K. is a rich, powerful man who was fully aware that his actions were wrong. Yet he chose to behave grotesquely simply because he could. The only issue that matters is whether he will choose to stop abusing women.” While their individual views on C.K.’s comeback are very different, both Corry and Dworman implied that if C.K. wants to relaunch his public career, he should first address the question of whether he would use his power to continue to harass women, or if he has taken steps to ensure that he won’t do such a thing again. Based on reports of his set at the Comedy Cellar, however, he has not yet taken on that question.<doc-sep>Louis C.K. has reportedly made his return to stand-up comedy, and some on social media see it as no laughing matter. The "Louie" creator and star performed a surprise 15-minute set at New York City's Comedy Cellar, nearly 10 months after being accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, according to a report published Monday night by The New York Times. In November, five women told the Times the comedian masturbated or made an attempt to in front of them, without their consent. Their stories of C.K. crossing the line of sexual misconduct in encounters with them dated back more than a decade. One day later, C.K. acknowledged the women's stories were "true" in a statement indicating he had grasped the weight of his actions. "The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly," he wrote, adding, "there is nothing about this that I forgive myself for. And I have to reconcile it with who I am." More:Are #MeToo men ready for a comeback? Not all accused figures have slunk away in shame More:Edie Falco is rooting for Louis C.K. to get another chance after sexual-misconduct scandal The Comedy Cellar's owner, Noam Dworman, told the Times that C.K. looked "very relaxed" as he took the stage for his 11 p.m. set, performing "typical Louis C.K. stuff," joking about tips, racism and parades to an audience of about 115 people, who gave him an ovation before he even started. “It sounded just like he was trying to work out some new material, almost like any time of the last 10 years he would come in at the beginning of a new act,” Dworman told the outlet. Dworman also told the Times he fielded one call from a member of the crowd who protested C.K. 's show. People on social media were also upset over the comic's return. Kathy Griffin used Twitter to chime in with a series of tweets. "You know how many talented women and POC (people of color) comics are knocking on doors trying to get some time in front of audiences or powerful people in this business?" she began Tuesday. "And Louis just gets to glide back in on his own terms? Gosh, does it payoff to be in the boys club..the white boys club." Griffin added that she was left feeling "angry and frustrated for the people who have struggled to be heard and seen." She also tweeted "... right now I can only imagine what the survivors of Louis' predation are thinking. All I know is we should all be outraged ... the boys club won again..." She appeared to conclude her tweets by writing: "Louis just went on a long vacation and didn't do anything to show that he has reformed/changed. He's a multi-millionaire who finally got some sleep after working nonstop for years. This is how we are making people are paying penance in the #MeToo era? (Expletive) pathetic." The Times report does not say whether or not C.K. addressed his past misconduct during his performance, and comedian Paul F. Tompkins believes he did not. "The fact that Louis, a comedian whose whole thing is plumbing the depths of his own psyche, apparently didn’t mention his most recent, famous news in his surprise set tells you all you need to know about his desire for 'redemption,' right?" Tompkins tweeted Tuesday. He followed his tweet with another C.K.-focused message. "I knew he’d be back, but I honestly gave him too much credit," Tompkins wrote. "I really thought he’d just drop an hour set, Horace & Pete-style, and most of it would be about what happened and what he 'learned' from it and so forth. But naw?" Commenting on Dworman's remark to the Times that C.K. "decided to just rip the Band-Aid off," comedian Jackie Kashian wrote: "(Because) he was the one wounded I presume?" Similarly, film writer Scott Weinberg posted: "... explain to me how Louis CK is wearing a metaphorical band-aid." Referencing C.K. 's transgressions, another user tweeted "So let me get this straight. Louis C. K. just showed up at a club and performed to a room full of people without their consent?" The Ringer writer Alison Herman tweeted of C.K. 's return: "I knew this was coming, and yet it makes me angrier than I even thought possible!!!!!!" However, comedian Michael Ian Black, acknowledging he may "take heat" for his opinion, believes "people have to be allowed to serve their time and move on with their lives." He continued: "I don't know if it's been long enough, or his career will recover, or if people will have him back, but I'm happy to see him try." Black became a trending topic on Twitter Tuesday after his remarks. Actress Amber Tamblyn, a vocal member of the #MeToo movement, felt moved to tweet in response. "I think we should be asking women, most especially the women in comedy, how they feel about this instead of explaining what should or shouldn’t be allowed," she posted. "Deferral to women in a moment like this is what allyship looks like, Michael." Similar to Black, others also applauded C.K. 's return. "He did everything right in regards to doing something wrong," a user shared. "If anyone deserves another shot, it's Louis C.K.." "Louis C.K. has begun his slow walk back to the stage," wrote another. "Good." Contributing: Maria Puente More:FX says its Louis C.K. investigation yielded no signs of misconduct More:Louis C.K. scandal: FX, Netflix, publicist cut ties after admission of sexual misconduct<doc-sep>Louis C.K. has performed stand-up for what appears to be the first time since admitting to sexual misconduct in November 2017. After being accused of abusing five women in a New York Times report, the comedian released a statement in which he confirmed the stories and expressed remorse for his actions. “These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d-ck without asking first, which is also true,” he said in the statement. “But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d-ck 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.” But now—less than a year after the allegations against him were brought to light—C.K. has returned to the stage for an unannounced set at New York’s Comedy Cellar. He delivered a 15-minute performance on Sunday that the comedy club’s owner, Noam Dworman, told the Times consisted of “typical Louis C.K. stuff.” Dworman said C.K. was greeted with an ovation by the sold-out crowd. However, many others spoke out against C.K.’s return on social media. Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com.<doc-sep>After being out of the spotlight for nearly 10 months, Louis C.K. returned to the stand-up stage in New York. This marks his first public appearance and performance since he was accused of sexual misconduct in November. According to the New York Times, C.K. surprised audiences at the Comedy Cellar in New York City, a spot he frequented pre-#MeToo accusations. The audience welcomed the disgraced comedian as he took the stage at 11 PM for a 15-minute set, but he did not address or mention the allegations. In November of last year, five women came forward in the pages of The New York Times about how the comedian masturbated in front of them. C.K. next issued a statement in response to the sexual misconduct saying it was true “And I have to reconcile it with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.” In the wake of the accusations, C.K. was dropped by all his reps and he lost his production deal with FX. In addition, Orchard canceled the release of his film I Love You, Daddy. He also lost deals with Universal, Netflix, and HBO.<doc-sep>
One of the unresolved questions hanging over the entertainment industry amidst the #MeToo movement is when, or if, there is an appropriate time for performers to make their return to the stage or screen after being accused of sexual impropriety. That conundrum was brought into sharp focus on Sunday night (Aug. 26), when comedian Louis C.K. did a 15-minute, unannounced walk-up set at New York City's Comedy Cellar, his first public performance since the Louis creator admitted to sexual misconduct last fall. The setting was a natural one for the stand-up comic and TV producer, who was accused by five women of sexual misconduct in a New York Times expose in November amid the firestorm of accusations against disgraced former Miramax studio boss Harvey Weinstein. But the reactions have been swift, and in many cases, harsh, with many questioning why, as fellow comedian Aparna Nancherla wrote, "Louis CK getting a standing ovation for dropping in to a comedy club less than a year after admitting to sexual misconduct tells you all you need to know about how society applauds powerful men for doing less than the minimum of decency." C.K. was accused of masturbating in front of a number of women. He later admitted to the sexual misconduct, and subsequently lost his production deal with FX. He also saw the cancelation of the release of the film I Love You, Daddy, which he starred in, directed and wrote. HBO and Netflix similarly cut ties with C.K. in the wake of the controversy.