Sarah Silverman Addresses Louis C.K. Sexual Harassment Scandal

The I Love You, America host has broken her silence on her friend's recent scandal.

Sarah Silverman discussed the sexual harassment allegations made against Louis C.K. during an emotional monologue on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. At the top of her Hulu show, the comedian blatantly addressed "the elephant masturbating in the room," adding, "Let's just say it, I'm talking about Louis." 

"And in full disclosure, I'm still processing all of this s**t," she continued. "One of my best friends of over 25 years, Louis C.K., masturbated in front of women. He wielded his power with women in f**ked-up ways. Sometimes to the point where they left comedy entirely. I can couch this with heartwarming stories of our friendship and what a great dad he is, but that's totally irrelevant isn't it? Yes. It is. It's a real mindf**k."

"I love Louis. But Louis did these things. Both of those statements are true. So, I just keep asking myself, 'Can you love someone who did bad things? Can you still love them?'" Silverman went on, adding that she supports the women who have come forward. "The only people that matter right now are the victims. They are victims, and they're victims because of something he did."

"So, I hope it's OK if I am at once very angry for the women he wronged — and the culture that enabled it — and also sad, because he's my friend," she concluded. "But I believe with all my heart that this moment in time is essential. It's vital that people are held accountable for their actions, no matter who they are. We need to be better. We will be better. I can't f**king wait to be better."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, five women accused C.K. of exposing himself and masturbating in front of them in a New York Times piece last Thursday. The stand-up comedian later confessed to the allegations. "These stories are true," he wrote in a statement, adding, "The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly."

C.K. has since faced severe backlash, with HBO, Netflix, and FX cutting ties with the Louie star. Earlier this week, Jon Stewart spoke out against his friend's disturbing behavior, saying, "You feel anger at what he did to people."

Since Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault scandal broke in October, several other men in Hollywood, including C.K., have been accused of sexual misconduct.