Celebrities: They really are just like us! Take Rose Byrne, for instance, who thinks it’s totally okay if no one ever sees the Louis CK cringe-fest I Love You, Daddy. The film was shelved by its distributor The Orchard last fall following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, after numerous women came forward to detail CK’s history of alleged sexual misconduct. And now, in a new interview with the New York Times, Byrne says that although she had a “very respectful experience” working on the film, she agrees with the decision to never release it.
“It’s obviously very complicated, and I stand with the women who came forward,” she said, adding, “I think it will be a while before that film can be seen, and I think that’s right.” Byrne stars in I Love You, Daddy as Grace, a pregnant actress and the love interest of CK’s TV writer and producer character, Glen. The dark comedy centers on Glen and his conflicted feelings about his teen daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz) embarking on a highly inappropriate romantic relationship with an older director (John Malkovich) known for dating much, much younger women. That cringe-worthy plot, in which CK is clearly wrestling with his own feelings about Woody Allen, takes on a nearly-unwatchable meta-quality in light of the allegations against the comedian, who is currently attempting to stage a comeback.
Asked whether she thinks it’s too soon for CK to return to his career, Byrne criticized his “surprise” approach, as well as the “gatekeepers” who enabled it:
It’s too soon for him to have a surprise [set], that’s for sure. I think if he’s going to show up, just let everybody know so then they can make a decision, like, “I don’t want to see this guy — I’m out.” It’s also the gatekeepers around these things who give people the chance to have a comeback. They’re actually really powerful. I would like to see them being held accountable a little bit more.
Not long after the film was shelved, CK bought the rights to I Love You, Daddy back from the distributor. It remains unclear when–or if–the film will ever see the light of day, but Byrne isn’t the only star who is fine with it remaining hidden. Speaking with the New York Times back in August, Chloe Grace Moretz said she thinks I Love You, Daddy should “just kind of go away, honestly.” As for men like CK and their careers, Moretz said, “I don’t think it’s time for them to have a voice right now.”
Celebrities: Just like us!