)
Aziz Ansari essentially withdrew from public life after a widely read 2018 Babe.net story detailed his alleged sexual misconduct during a date. But the comedian recently embarked on his "Road to Nowhere" tour, popping up in various cities for shows.
He briefly mentioned the allegations onstage a week ago -and during a show Monday at New York's Village Underground in front of 200 people, he more deeply reflected on the story and how it's affected him, Vulture reports.
Ansari said that he hadn't really talked about that "whole thing"-apart from a statement supporting the #MeToo movement immediately after the incident came to light-because he wanted time to process what had happened and because "its a terrifying thing to talk about."
"There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way," Ansari continued. "But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope Ive become a better person."
)
)
)
This somber perspective stands in contrast to an earlier show in which Ansari didn't acknowledge his situation and-according to an account from The New Yorker -expressed wariness of "woke" culture on social media, particularly in one punchline deriding what he called "Progressive Candy Crush."
)
But on Monday, the Parks and Recreation actor reportedly noted a conversation he had with a friend who said the Babe.net story and the ensuing scandal, which drew divided reactions, made him reconsider every date he'd been on.
"If that has made not just me but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, thats a good thing," Ansari said.
"And I think it also just gave me perspective on my life," he added, sharing how grateful he suddenly is to have the privilege of performing comedy as a career. "There was a moment where I was scared that Id never be able to do this again."
In the old days, when he said "thank you" to the crowd at the end of a stand-up show, it was merely a nicety. "But now, I really mean it. I mean it on a different level."