Louis C.K. got canceled, then uncanceled. Too soon? New 'Sorry/Not Sorry' doc investigates

Louis C.K. is back. Well, sort of. In some ways, he barely left after a 2017 scandal − and that concerns the filmmakers behind the new documentary "Sorry/Not Sorry."

You might remember the schlubby comedian for his laconic woe-is-me delivery, which amused stand-up audiences and powered the successful quasi-autobiographical FX series “Louie.”

Or his name might ring a bell as a featured player in the #MeToo movement, when The New York Times broke the news that five women claimed the comedian had exposed himself and masturbated in front of them.

If you're someone who wants to know more about how Louis C.K.'s lightning-quick return to the cultural fold happened, and question whether it should have, along comes “Sorry/Not Sorry,” a new documentary that just premiered at Toronto Film Festival and has been acquired for distribution by Greenwich Entertainment.

Louis C.K. could not be reached for comment.

Here’s a quick rewind on the C.K. saga and details on the documentary.

Who is Louis C.K.?

Louis Alfred Szekely, 56, grew up in Massachusetts idolizing comedians such as George Carlin and eventually landed writing jobs in the mid-‘90s with Dana Carvey, David Letterman, Chris Rock and Conan O’Brien.

Although he worked on a range of movies early in his career, his performance breakthrough came in the mid-2000s with a series of successful HBO comedy specials, and later, his TV show “Louie.” C.K. has won numerous Grammys and Primetime Emmys.

Louis C.K.’s filmography includes parts in 2013’s “American Hustle,” 2015’s “Trumbo” and the 2013 Woody Allen movie “Blue Jasmine.”

Why was Louis C.K. canceled?

In 2017, a number of women approached a group of New York Times reporters who had been working on stories about sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, alleging that Louis C.K. had masturbated in front of them about 10 years earlier. This followed a few years of reports about the comedian’s inappropriate behavior around women, which he had steadfastly denied.

For some on the comedy circuit, the revelations sounded familiar. Reports had surfaced years before on the website Gawker about an unnamed comedian, widely thought to be C.K., who had masturbated in front of a female comedy duo in Aspen, and blocked their exit when they tried to leave. In 2016, Roseanne Barr told The Daily Beast that another comedian besides Bill Cosby would be caught soon for being sexually inappropriate. She named C.K., citing a "whisper network" among female comedians.

After the NYT article was published, Louis C.K. issued a contrite response, noting that the accusations were “true” and adding, “The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”

What happened after Louis C.K. got canceled?

C.K. claimed that the cultural cancellation cut deeply emotionally and fiscally, reportedly costing him upward of $35 million in lost revenue. “I Love You, Daddy,” a movie he had made just as the scandal erupted, had its distribution dropped. The film featured C.K. as well as an often bikini-clad Chloë Grace Moretz playing his creepily adoring teenage daughter. The comedian's appearance in an HBO comedy special was canceled, and his manager and publicist dropped him.

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But it did not take long for C.K. to resurface. In 2018, he made largely unannounced comedy club appearances, some of which were surreptitiously filmed and distributed online, prompting a “too soon” backlash. In 2020, C.K.’s longtime friend, comedian Dave Chappelle, invited him to appear on his series “An Intimate Socially Distanced Affair.”

In 2022, C.K. took home his third Grammy Award, best comedy album for his stand-up show “Sincerely Louis C.K.,” infuriating some of his accusers. Later that year saw the release of “Fourth of July,” a film he wrote and directed. In early 2023, C.K. performed to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden.

What can I expect to see in 'Sorry/Not Sorry'?

The new documentary about Louis C.K. was directed by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones and produced by The New York Times. It kicks off when the comedian’s career took a nosedive, and looks at the allegations leveled against him as well as the repercussions for the women who came forward only to see C.K.’s career revived.

“There were questions to be asked and perspectives to be brought forth,” producer Kathleen Lingo told The Associated Press. “What happens when a woman says the truth? What happens to her?”

Why has Louis C.K. been able to make such a rapid comeback?

In interviews to promote "Sorry/Not Sorry" at Toronto Film Festival, the directors and a producer said they were surprised when "every single comedian" they approached to talk about C.K. and his fall and quick rise turned them down.

What stands out for Lingo is how many women who spoke out about C.K. around 2017 then declined to talk when filmmakers approached them several years later. She called it "a sobering reality" that shows "the bravery of the women who are in the film," Lingo told the crowd at Toronto.

Looking back at the #MeToo movement now, "everyone's always asking, 'Are things better? Are things worse?'" she said. "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."

Some critics who have seen the documentary come away feeling that the last laugh is had by C.K., who has emerged as much a cultural force as he was before 2017.

Writes Sam Adams in a review of the film for Slate, "Now that C.K. is entirely self-sufficient − even for performances like the Madison Square Garden gig, he rents out arenas himself rather than going through bookers − there’s no check on his behavior, as long as his fans continue to support him.

"As one observer in the documentary puts it, he’s 'waving the banner for people who don’t care,' and plenty are willing to join the parade."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Louis C.K. 'Sorry/Not Sorry' documentary explores his rise and fall