Amy Schumer says first sexual experience was ‘flat-out rape’
Comedian addresses #MeToo movement, accusations against friend Aziz Ansari. ‘I don’t think anyone wants to see his career ruined’
American Jewish comedian Amy Schumer has spoken out about her experiences of sexual assault, adding her voice to the global #MeToo campaign against sexual misconduct, that kicked off following accusations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Schumer told TV host Katie Couric on her podcast that her first sexual experience was one in which she was “flat-out raped.”
In a past interview with Marie Claire magazine, Schumer said: “My first sexual experience was not a good one. I didn’t think about it until I started reading my journal again. When it happened, I wrote about it almost like a throwaway. It was like, ‘And then I looked down and realized he was inside of me. He was saying, ‘I’m so sorry,’ and ‘I can’t believe I did this.’”
“There are just so many factors. I had another time with a boyfriend where I was saying ‘No, stop’ and it was just completely ignored,” she said.
Schumer was asked about friend Aziz Ansari, who last month was accused by an anonymous woman of misconduct.
Identified as “Grace,” the woman told online magazine Babe she went to dinner with the actor and comedian in September, after which they went to Ansari’s apartment. She claimed Ansari made repeated aggressive advances towards her, despite her “verbal and non-verbal cues” indicating she did not want to have sex with him.
Ansari has acknowledged the sexual encounter, but insisted it was a “completely consensual” one. “The next day, I got a text from her saying that although ‘it may have seemed okay,’ upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable,” he said. “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.”
Schumer said “I don’t think anyone wants to see Aziz’s career ruined or his life ruined or anything like that, but that’s where people’s minds go. They go ‘Does he deserve this?’
“And it’s really not about that. I think it’s about expressing and showing women that that behavior is not okay and not only can you leave, but you need to leave.”
She added: “If you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the Aziz one, I don’t think there’s any sort of criminal charge.”
Agencies contributed to this report.
