Louis CK kicks off his comeback tour at Madison Square Garden and jokes about 9/11, COVID and pedophiles - but does NOT mention his own masturbation sex scandal
Comedian Louis CK kicked off his nationwide comeback tour at Madison Square Garden on Friday and joked about nearly every controversial topic except his own masturbation sex scandal.
The comic sold out New York City's Hulu Theater at MSG and performed in front of a sign that read 'sorry' but didn't appear too apologetic when joking about touchy subjects such as 9/11, pedophiles and the obsession with the Covid death toll.
His own sexual misconduct scandal has been plaguing him since 2017 when five female comedians claimed CK had either pleasured himself in front of them, asked to do it, or did so over the phone in the last 15 years.
The day after the allegations were made public CK released a lengthy statement admitting the claims were true but that he never showed women his 'd**k without asking first'.
'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*** isn't a question. It's a predicament for them,' he added.
Comedian Louis CK kicked off his nationwide tour at Madison Square Garden on Friday and joked about nearly everything controversial except his own masturbation sex scandal
The once-condemned comic sold out New York City's Hulu Theater at MSG August 13 and 14 and performed in front of a sign that read 'sorry'
Despite fierce backlash the comic refused to be cancelled and announced his nationwide tour in an email earlier this month.
The email read: 'Hello Person that you are being right now, I am writing to you today because I am going to be touring around the United States of America, performing stand-up comedy in theaters in several different cities.'
He signed off by saying he was 'really looking forward to seeing your faces as I tell some rather impolite jokes and stories'.
CK delivered on the statement in his email and attendee Ron Michelli told Page Six that some jokes went a bit over the line.
Another attendee, who asked to remain anonymous, thought 'some jokes were a little distasteful and over the top but overall it was a good show'.
Despite some jokes, which 'went a little more in depth than needed but still funny,' an anonymous source told Page Six that the crowd still seemed to be thrilled that CK was back performing stand-up.
CK was dropped by his rep and management company in the wake of the scandal. He is pictured on stage in 2016
CK's sexual misconduct scandal has been plaguing him since 2017 when five fellow female comics claimed he had either masturbated in front of them, asked to do it or did so over the phone in the last 15 years. He is pictured on stage in 2017
'His set was raunchy but very funny. People gave him a standing ovation when he came out and when he left,' the anonymous source added.
The tour kicked off in New York August 13 and 14 and CK will go on to perform his set in 24 cities including Albany, San Diego, Philadelphia, Portland, Chicago and Boston.
His website also mentioned that a series of stand-up shows will take place across Europe next year.
In the wake of his allegations three years ago, 53-year-old CK found himself short of work after HBO revealed they were cutting him from their Night Of Too Many Stars special and the production company behind his new film I Love You Daddy said they would not be putting it in cinemas.
CK was also dropped by his rep and management company.
But in April 2020 CK started his comeback with a film titled Sincerely Louis CK that was streamed on his website for $8 and featured him and all of his usual raunchy jokes.
'How was your last couple of years?' he asked the crowd. 'Anybody else get in global amounts of trouble?'
In contrast to the jokes performed in his most recent tour, CK surrounded sets in his film - which joked about necrophilia, people with disabilities and the Holocaust - with why he liked to masturbate in front of women.
He said: 'I like jerking off, I don't like being alone, that's all I can tell you. I get lonely, it's just sad. I like company. I like to share. I'm good at it, too. If you're good at juggling, you wouldn't do it alone in the dark. You'd gather folks and amaze them.'
Comedians Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov claims Louis CK got naked and masturbated in front of them in a hotel room in Aspen, Colorado, back in 2002
Comic Rebecca Corry alleged that CK, while she was working on TV pilot in 2005, asked 'if we could go to my dressing room so he could masturbate in front of me'. She declined 'and he told me he had issues'.
Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov said they were invited up to CK's hotel room in Aspen, Colorado, back in 2002 after they had performed at the US Comedy Arts Festival.
They claim he asked them if he could take his penis out as soon as they got into the room. The women both say they thought he was joking until he 'really did it'.
'He proceeded to take all of his clothes off, and get completely naked, and started masturbating,' they told the Times, as they recalled screaming and laughing in shock.
CK is divorced and has two teen daughters with his ex, painter Alix Bailey.