Sarah Silverman has compassion for Louis C.K. For Silverman’s GQ Comedy Issue profile, the magazine asked her about her friendships with three men sidelined by the #MeToo movement: C.K., Al Franken, and Aziz Ansari. Silverman’s friendship with C.K., who was accused of and admitted to masturbating in front of women without their consent, runs the longest. (The two were close during their days as NYC comics in their 20s.) “Fuck you! ‘Let me tell GQ about my conversations with Louie,’†Silverman says when the magazine asks about her conversations with C.K. after allegations against him came out in the New York Times. “Life is complicated. Love is even more complicated. But you can’t not do it. I don’t have some definitive sound bite or nutshell of how I feel about it, even to myself. But I’m also okay with that.†She elaborates:
“I think that there are people who were caught and there were people who were not caught, but the important thing is that they are forever changed. And if that’s the case, I don’t see any reason why they can’t continue being artists. Now, whether they’re popular artists or not is up to the audience. I have compassion. There are people that just deny everything they’re accused of and they continue to be the politicians or the filmmakers that they are. And there are people that come and say, I’m guilty of these things, and I’m wrong, and I want to be changed from this. And yet those are the ones that kind of are excommunicated forever. He’s my brother, so it’s hard. I may not have a very clear perspective on it, but I’m trying to.â€
Of Franken, Silverman said the former senator has “no sexuality,†and doesn’t believe he groped radio host Leann Tweeden. “I believe in my heart of heart of hearts he never copped a feel. The sketch, the whole Leeann Tweeden sketch, is online. You can see it for yourself. It’s not funny, but it’s innocuous. He may have touched some sideboob by accident, or a tush by accident, but I’m telling you, [Franken’s wife] Franni is his best friend and constant companion, and he has eyes for no one else.â€
Ansari, who was accused of sexual misconduct while on a date, doesn’t get as passionate a defense, but Silverman is still supportive. “I was just like, Gross, I don’t wanna know that about Aziz!†she told GQ. “Hopefully he’s dealing with things, looking inward, and will blossom from it.â€