Noam Galai/Getty ImagesAziz Ansari is speaking out after a Brooklyn-based photographer accused the actor of sexual misconduct during a date in an article entitled "I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life" for the publication Babe.
The 23-year-old woman, who anonymously goes by the name of "Grace" in the article, came forward in a lengthy and detailed account of the September 2017 date, which she said left her feeling "victimized" afterward. In the article, "Grace" alleges that 34-year-old "ignored clear non-verbal cues" and "kept going with advances."
In a statement given to E! News on Sunday, the Master of None star said, "In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual."
The actor continued, "The next day, I got a text from her saying that although it may have seemed okay, upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said."
"I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue," concluded the Golden Globe winner.
On Sunday, Babe shared a screengrab of an alleged text message between the two parties the day after the sexual encounter.
The tweet read, "This is the text Grace* sent Aziz Ansari after their date which left her feeling 'violated.' She tells Ansari how uncomfortable he made her feel, saying 'you ignored clear non-verbal cues' and 'kept going with advances.'"
In the Babe piece, the woman and she Ansari at an Emmy party last year and they connected over cameras. She says that the two went out in Manhattan later that month and that she left to go home in an Uber after being very upset.
According to the publication, she wrote a text to the actor that said, "I just want to take this moment to make you aware of [your] behavior and how uneasy it made me."
In the alleged text message conversation, Ansari responded: "Clearly, I misread things in the moment and I’m truly sorry."
She says that after dinner, he took her back to his apartment and then he forcefully kissed her several times and tried to have sex with her, which she turned down multiple times, before she eventually left.
"I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz," she said. "I was not listened to and ignored. It was by far the worst experience with a man I've ever had."