Following allegations that actor and comedian Chris D’Elia attempted to solicit nude photos from minors online, a Workaholics episode featuring him as a pedophile attempting to groom children through the internet has been pulled from streaming. Workaholics’ season one, episode eight “To Friend a Predator,†which first aired on May 25, 2011, is now gone from Hulu and Comedy Central. While the episode is still listed on Amazon Prime, it is not available to watch, though its logline remains: “When the guys try ‘To Catch a Predator,’ a local child molester, he turns out to be the coolest guy they ever met.â€
Comedy Central confirmed on Sunday that it removed the episode from its platforms. According to Variety, D’Elia’s 2013 special White Male. Black Comic is also no longer available through Comedy Central either. Several women came forward on Twitter last week to accuse D’Elia of attempting to groom them when they were underage, allegedly sending them sexual messages and attempting to solicit nudes. The comedian has subsequently denied their claims.
“I know I have said and done things that might have offended people during my career, but I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point,†D’Elia said in a statement to TMZ. “All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me. That being said, I really am truly sorry. I was a dumb guy who ABSOLUTELY let myself get caught up in my lifestyle. That’s MY fault. I own it. I’ve been reflecting on this for some time now and I promise I will continue to do better.†Last year, D’Elia starred in the second season of Netflix’s You as a popular comedian who sexually assaults teenage girls.