Aziz Ansari announces first stand-up tour dates since sexual misconduct allegations

By William Hughes | November 28, 2018 | 5:13am

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Stand-up comedian Aziz Ansari has just announced his first tour dates since January 2018, when he was accused of sexual misconduct by the anonymous subject of a report published on Babe.net. At the time, Ansari released a statement responding to the report’s assertions about a sexual encounter between himself and a woman identified as “Grace,” noting that, “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. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.”

Discussions of Ansari’s potential return to the spotlight have been a recurring point of contention and conversation as the #MeToo movement has progressed and evolved; both Netflix—which hosts his TV series Master Of None—and his old boss Mike Schur have expressed interest in working with him again. He’s also had a few sets at New York’s Comedy Cellar—also where Louis CK, who admitted earlier this year to masturbating in front of women without their consent, has been periodically taking the stage—reportedly testing out new material alongside folks like Chris Rock and Kevin Hart.