Louis C.K. addresses sexual misconduct accusations: 'It's true'

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Louis C.K. admits sexual misconduct allegations are true

Comedian says he's brought pain to family and friends; Jonathan Hunt reports from Los Angeles.

Louis C.K. admitted Friday that the accusations made by five women who claim the comedian was sexually inappropriate with them are true.

Comedians Diana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov told the New York Times Thursday the 50-year-old exposed himself to them in a Chicago hotel room in 2002. Abby Schachner shared a similarly disturbing story with the newspaper, telling the Times she heard C.K. masturbating on the phone when she spoke to him in 2003. Another woman named Rebecca Corry said C.K. asked her if he could masturbate in front of her. One woman spoke to the newspaper anonymously and said something similar happened to her.

The comedian released an official statement to Fox News Friday and expressed remorse.

“I want to address the stories told to the New York Times by five women named Abby, Rebecca, Dana, Julia who felt able to name themselves and one who did not,” wrote C.K.

“These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d--k without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d--k isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.

"I have been remorseful of my actions. And I've tried to learn from them. And run from them. Now I’m aware of the extent of the impact of my actions. I learned yesterday the extent to which I left these women who admired me feeling badly about themselves and cautious around other men who would never have put them in that position.

"I also took advantage of the fact that I was widely admired in my and their community, which disabled them from sharing their story and brought hardship to them when they tried because people who look up to me didn't want to hear it. I didn't think that I was doing any of that because my position allowed me not to think about it.

"There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for. And I have to reconcile it with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.

"I wish I had reacted to their admiration of me by being a good example to them as a man and given them some guidance as a comedian, including because I admired their work.

"The hardest regret to live with is what you've done to hurt someone else. And I can hardly wrap my head around the scope of hurt I brought on them. I’d be remiss to exclude the hurt that I’ve brought on people who I work with and have worked with who’s professional and personal lives have been impacted by all of this, including projects currently in production: the cast and crew of 'Better Things,' 'Baskets,' 'The Cops,' 'One Mississippi,' and 'I Love You Daddy.'

"I deeply regret that this has brought negative attention to my manager Dave Becky who only tried to mediate a situation that I caused. I’ve brought anguish and hardship to the people at FX who have given me so much, The Orchard who took a chance on my movie, and every other entity that has bet on me through the years.

"I’ve brought pain to my family, my friends, my children and their mother.

"I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen.

"Thank you for reading.”

The New York premiere of his upcoming film, titled “I Love You, Daddy” was cancelled Thursday. The Orchard announced on Friday the film would no longer be distributed.