Comedian Chris D’Elia broke a long silence on Friday, posting a nearly 10-minute video on his YouTube page to talk about his past behavior.
D’Elia was accused by two women of exposing themselves in separate incidents, one in 2011 and the other in 2018, with their stories detailed in a report on CNN.com. Previously, D’Elia was accused of enticing underage girls on social media.
After these charges arose, CAA dismissed the actor-comedian as a client. He was also released by the management company 3 Arts Entertainment. Netflix, for its part, ruled out an impromptu prank program in which D’Elia was featured.
D’Elia admitted in Friday’s video “I know it’s been a long time since you heard about me”, but said he hopes his previous statements denying the charges are sufficient. “I wanted that statement to speak for itself,” he said, adding that although he wanted to get back to work, he thought. “Better take a good look at myself.”
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“I know how it goes with all the things that have been said,” said D’Elia. “I know it looks bad and doesn’t show the full extent of what happened.” He stated: “I defend the fact that all my relationships have been consensual and legal. That’s the truth.”
However, “sex controlled my life,” he said. “And I have a problem. And I have a problem … I need to work on it. “
Later in the video, he apologized to everyone who was involved in his activities. “I’m very sorry.”
In a statement released when the original charges arose, D’Elia’s representatives sent a statement to Deadline.
“I know I said and did things that may have offended people during my career, but I never intentionally sought out any underage women at any time,” he said. “All my relationships have been legal and consensual and I have never found or exchanged inappropriate pictures with people who tweeted about me. That said, I’m really sorry. I was a dumb guy who ABSOLUTELY let me lead by my lifestyle. The fault is mine. I own it. I have been reflecting on this for some time and I promise that I will continue to do better. “
Watch the video above for the full confessional.