‘I took her words to heart’: Aziz Ansari responds to sexual misconduct allegations but fails to apologise to accuser

Aziz Ansari has responded to allegations that he took advantage of a 23-year-old woman, claiming that he thought the sexual contact they had was “by all indications completely consensual”.

While the US comedian failed to actually apologise to his accuser, he said that he had taken her words “to heart” in a statement released on Sunday.

The photographer, who has opted not to reveal her identity, told women’s website babe.net that her date with Ansari last September was “by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had”.

“I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz,” she told the website, alleging that she had felt pressured into sexual activity with the star at his apartment.

“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,” Ansari’s statement read.

“The next day, I got a text from her saying that although ‘it may have seemed OK’, upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was true that everything did seem OK 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.”

Aziz, who wore a Time’s Up pin to last week’s Golden Globes, added: “I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture ... It is necessary and long overdue.”

His accuser, who has used the pseudonym Grace, said that she felt compelled to speak out after seeing Ansari win Best Actor in a Comedy at the ceremony.

“It was actually painful to watch him win and accept an award,” she said. “And absolutely cringeworthy that he was wearing the Time’s Up pin.”

In the article, the woman alleges that Ansari continued to make sexual advances on her despite her using “verbal and non-verbal cues to indicate how uncomfortable and distressed” she was.

After leaving his apartment, the woman claims she sent a series of text messages to friends to say how upset she was about the incident and “cried the whole ride home”.