New Jersey native and comedian Chris D’Elia addressed the allegations of sexual misconduct brought against him in a YouTube video he posted on Friday, saying he did nothing illegal while admitting, “I have a problem ”.
D’Elia, who grew up in Montclair, was accused of sexual harassment by many women last year, including underage girls. An accuser said he asked for nude photos despite knowing that she was a minor.
“First of all, I know how it goes with all the things that have been said and the emails that have been put out there and what the media has been trying to say and I know it looks bad,” said D’Elia in the video, which has almost 10 minutes long. “I maintain the fact that all of my relationships were consensual and legal.”
Actress Megan Drust was one of several women talking about D’Elia’s misconduct with CNN, claiming he asked for a ride home from a restaurant in Los Angeles after she went there to meet the comedian and a friend. Drust claimed that when they got into the car, D’Elia unzipped his pants and exposed himself to her.
D’Elia said in the video that “sex controlled my life” and that he was in the process of seeking treatment.
“(Sex) was the focus, it was my focus all the time. And I had a problem and I have a problem, ”said D’Elia in the video. “It’s not like, months later, everything is better. I need to work on that. “
The charges led to his departure from many projects. 3 Arts Entertainment and Creative Artists Agency dismissed him as a customer. Netflix canceled plans for a game show that would have starred D’Elia. D’Elia was also removed from Zack Snyder’s zombie film, “Army of the Dead”.
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