Louis CK has been accused of sexual misconduct by five different women in a New York Times exposé.
The award-winning comedian is said to have exposed himself in front of two female comedians in 2002, masturbated while speaking to a female comedian over the phone in 2003 and asked to masturbate in front of another comedian, who declined, in 2005.
A fifth woman, who didn't want to be identified, said CK repeatedly asked if he could masturbate in front of her in the 1990s.
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"After years of unsubstantiated rumours about Louis CK masturbating in front of associates, women are coming forward to describe what they experienced," writes the Times.
"Even amid the current burst of sexual misconduct accusations against powerful men, the stories about Louis CK stand out, because he has so few equals in comedy."
The New York premiere of CK's new film I Love You, Daddy has been cancelled in the wake of the story, as has his scheduled appearance on the Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
One of the women accusing CK of misconduct says he contacted her on Facebook six years later to apologise in a message the Times says it has seen.
"That was a bad time in my life and I'm sorry," CK is said to have written. "I remember thinking what a repulsive person I was being by responding the way that I did."
Chicago comedy duo Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, comedians Rebecca Corry, Abby Schachner and CK collaborator and one-time friend Tig Notaro all spoke to the Times for the story.
CK's publicist told the Times he was "not going to answer any questions" about the story.
Newshub.
