Amy Schumer is sharing her opinion on one woman’s controversial account of a sexual encounter with actor Aziz Ansari. Appearing on the Katie Couric Podcast, Schumer discusses the allegations against Ansari, who she considers a friend.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see Aziz’s career ruined or his life ruined or anything like that, but I think that’s where people’s minds go,” Schumer said. “They go ‘Does he deserve this?’ And it’s not really about that. I think it’s about expressing and showing women that the behavior is not okay and not only can you leave, but you need to leave. Because then the women who come after you, you’re leaving a mark for them too.”
She goes on to explain that she won’t defend Ansari’s actions just because she is his friend. “Even if it’s my friend, I don’t go, ‘Oh, but he’s a good guy,’ I think, ‘What would it feel like to have been her?'”
As previously reported, a woman, referred to only by Grace, told Babe.net that a date with Ansari was “the worst night of my life.” Grace alleged that the actor repeatedly pressured her to have sex.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Ansari said that he engaged “in sexual activity which by all indications was completely consensual.” He explained that he was “surprised and concerned” when he heard from her the next day. “I got a text from her saying that although ‘it may have seemed okay,’ upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable… I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.”
In her podcast with Couric, Schumer went on to say that women should never feel ashamed of calling out behavior that makes them uncomfortable. “If you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the Aziz one, I don’t think there’s any sort of criminal charge,” she said. “But I think that it’s good for everybody to learn that that behavior’s not acceptable. And it can still really mess with a woman.”