Headlines are currently dominated by stories of sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct at the hands of well-known celebrities and politicians, such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Roy Moore. These sick and twisted allegations are costing these celebrities dearly, and for good reason.

However, one name sticks out amongst those accused of sexual misconduct: Louis C.K.

Louis C.K. is one of the most prominent Hollywood comedians of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, having sold out Madison Square Garden eight times, and winning five Prime-Time Emmy awards and two Grammy awards. On November 9th, 2017, the New York Times reported that five women accused C.K. of sexual misconduct (you can read the article and full allegations here). While C.K. has already stepped forward and stated that the allegations against him are true, several are placing him in the same slots as Weinstein and others, which is wrong.

In the reports by the New York Times, C.K. never once forced any of the women into a sexual act, nor did he ever physically touch the women.

Three of the victims say that C.K. pleasured himself in front of them (two of them stayed with him and laughed until he was finished, and one of them consented to watch), one says that he pleasured himself when they were talking on the phone, and the other says that he asked if she would watch him (she denied and he admitted to "having issues,”) but never went through with the act. On the other hand, Weinstein and Spacey have been accused of non consensual physical contact.

In C.K.'s statement (which you can read fully here), he explains that he was wrong in his inappropriate actions and discusses how he wrongly used his power over the women:

" ... But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your [genitals] isn't a question. It's a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I weilded that power irresponsibly." - Louis C.K. (November 10th, 2017)

C.K. has also noted that over the years he has personally attempted to contact the women to apologize because he didn't want the story to blow up. Instead, he hid parts of these experiences in his work through characters and the experiences of these characters as a way to deal with his guilt.

As a consequence of his actions, the premiere of his first movie in 16 years, I Love You, Daddy was rescinded, and he was dropped from two agencies as well as from HBO, Netflix, and FX. Although there is not much word about C.K.'s personal relationships, it is speculated that many are carrying the weight of this situation just as much or more than he is.

Bottom line: while C.K. acted inappropriately and used his power as a well-known comedian irresponsibly, he should not be placed in the same category as those who have been accused of rape and actual sexual abuse.

We should be more aware of the intensity in which celebrities are called out on sexual misconduct.

Those who have physically abused women should lose their assets, but in the case of Louis C.K., the consequences outweigh the actions.