Louis C.K. doc producer says stars who once spoke out against harassment 'declined' film: 'Quite dark'
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Numerous stars, including famous women who once spoke out against Louis C.K.'s admitted sexual misconduct, declined to participate in a new documentary about the comedian, Sorry/Not Sorry producer Kathleen Lingo reveals.
Speaking to the audience Sunday night following the film's world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Lingo — who appeared on stage alongside co-directors Caroline Suh and Cara Mones — said that "every single famous comedian" the team approached to speak about C.K.'s actions didn't want to be interviewed for the project.
"I think the thing that really stands out in my mind having been super involved with the outreach, is how many women who had spoken out around 2017, when we reapproached them 2020-2021 declined, which is sort of a sobering reality and it also just goes to show the bravery of the women who are in the film," Lingo said. "I think, as we're sort of looking back at the #MeToo movement now in the rearview mirror and everyone's always asking, 'Are things better? Are things worse?' It's really hard to have a blanket sort of assessment, but just the fact that the women, who at that moment felt this sense of promise, to now not feel that anymore I think is quite dark."
Brian de Rivera Simon/WireImage Louis C.K. at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival
The film does, however, include interviews with comedians Jen Kirkman and Abby Schachner, who outline their experiences with C.K., as well as other figures in the comedy world such as Michael Ian Black and Aida Rodriguez.
A note at the end of the movie also indicates that C.K. did not respond to the filmmakers' requests to comment on the project or be interviewed for it.
In a November 2017 New York Times report, five women, including Schachner and three other named comedians, accused the comic of sexual misconduct, detailing encounters in which he had exposed himself and masturbated or requested to masturbate in front of them. C.K. responded to the allegations the following day, admitting "these stories are true."
In the immediate aftermath of the allegations, which hit amid the rising #MeToo movement, the comic's film, I Love You, Daddy — about a middle-aged film director (John Malkovich) pursuing C.K.'s character's 17-year-old daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz) — which had recently debuted at TIFF was pulled from distribution. But by the next year, the "canceled" comedian returned to stand-up, including launching an international tour. In the years that followed, he appeared as a surprise guest at sold-out Dave Chappelle shows and released several comedy specials, including 2021's Sorry, which included jokes about his sexual misconduct and won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
Sorry/Not Sorry does not yet have a release date, but TIFF will hold an additional public screening of the film on Tuesday at 7:35 p.m. ET.
Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
Related content:
