Louis CK. Matt Baron/Shutterstock
ComedianLouis C.K.Nearly five years ago, his sexual misconduct scandal made headlines, he won a coveted Grammy trophy at 64th annual ceremony.
The Louie alum, 54, won the honor for Best Comedy Album during the Sunday, April 3, show for his Sincerely, Louis C.K. His first since the scandal. Louis C.K. Louis C.K. Lavell Crawford (The Comedy Vaccine), Chelsea Handler (Evolution), Lewis Black (Thanks for Risking Your Life), Nate Bargatze (The Average American’s Greatest Average) and Kevin Hart (Zero F—ks Given).
His win was not included in the preshow ceremonies, but viewers who tuned in were not surprised to see that his record was recognized in light 2017 scandal.
“Yes, it should have destroyed Louis CK’s career. He should have a career. But instead, Louis CK, who masturbated in front of women without consent, then derailed careers, just won best comedy album at the #grammys,” a TwitterUser wrote on Sunday.
Another retorted: “I wonder if the careers of the women comedians Louis CK forced to watch him masturbate — who were allegedly threatened by CK’s manager — have recovered from the stigma of coming forward. Louis CK’s own career seems to have bounced back very well.
The Roswell, New Mexico creator, Carina Adly MacKenzie, also shared her thoughts about Louis C.K.’s win, tweeting, “Louis CK just won a Grammy, in case you were still crying about cancel culture.”
The Secret Life of Pets In November 2017, multiple women accused voice actor of sexual misconduct claimed that he masturbated right in front of them or while on the phone with them. Later, he confirmed the allegations.
“I want to address the stories told to The New York Times by five women named Abby, Rebecca, Dana, Julia who felt able to name themselves and one who did not,” the comedian said in a lengthy statement to Us Weekly at the time. “These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was OK because I never showed a woman my d—k without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. They admired me, and that was the power I had over them. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”
The Washington, D.C. native continued: “I have been remorseful of my actions. And I’ve tried to learn from them. I have tried to learn from them. Now I’m aware of the extent of the impact of my actions. … I also took advantage of the fact that I was widely admired in my and their community, which disabled them from sharing their story and brought hardship to them when they tried because people who look up to me didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t think that I was doing any of that because my position allowed me not to think about it. I can’t forgive myself for this. It is something I must reconcile with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.”
Several of the comic’s projects and network partnerships had been canceled amid the news. Sincerely, Louis C.K. was his return to stand-up comedy upon its April 2020 release. While social media users were critical of his nomination, the Recording Academy stood behind his inclusion.
“We won’t restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration,” Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told The Wrap November 2021. “We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration.”
