By Joe Otterson
Comedian Louis CK has been accused of sexual misconduct in a New York Times expose detailing allegations that he repeatedly asked women he encountered in work-related environments to watch him masturbate.
The story also scrutinises the behaviour of CK's longtime manager, Dave Becky, of 3 Arts Entertainment, suggesting that Becky used his clout in the comedy world to pressure women to not discuss their encounters with CK.
Becky did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CK declined to comment for the Times' story on Thursday.
Comedians Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov are among the women who detail what they describe as a disturbing encounter with CK.
Comedian Louis CK, seen here in his recent Netflix special, is the latest Hollywood star accused of sexual misconduct.
Goodman and Wolov said they were shocked when he invited them to his hotel room during the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, in 2002 and allegedly stripped naked and began to masturbate.
Goodman and Wolov told the Times they spoke out about the incident within the tight-knit world of standup comedians but felt the pressure to avoid shaming a powerful figure in comedy.
Unsubstantiated rumours of CK's inappropriate behaviour among female comics had filtered into news reports in recent years, with comedians Tig Notaro and Roseanne Barr among those who previously called on CK to address the accusations.
But the comedian brushed off the rumours in an interview with Vulture in May last year.
"You can't touch stuff like that," he said at the time. "If you need your public profile to be all positive, you're sick in the head."
CK's industry clout has grown significantly in the intervening years through his successful FX series Louie, his standup comedy tours, and his innovative approach to distributing his own special and TV series Horace & Pete through his LouisCK.net website.
FX Networks, the home of his Emmy-winning series, issued a statement saying they were "troubled by the allegations".
"The network has received no allegations of misconduct by Louis CK related to any of our five shows produced together over the past eight years," the company said, adding the "matter is under review".
The timing of the Times' expose is sure to compromise the prospects for his latest indie feature, I Love You, Daddy, distributed by the Orchard, which acquired the film for a reported $US5 million following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The film - starring, written and directed by CK - revolves around a man (CK) who becomes concerned when his teenage daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz) begins to develop a relationship with a much older filmmaker (John Malkovich) who has been the subject of multiple sex scandal allegations.
Thursday night's New York premiere for the film was scrapped at the last minute, reported Deadline, as rumours of the Times expose began to swirl. CK's scheduled appearance on Stephen Colbert's Late Show was also cancelled.
On Thursday evening US time, HBO also announced it was pulling CK's past projects from its on demand services.
Reuters, Fairfax Media