The Untold Truth Of Chris D'Elia
Accusations of sexual harassment against comedian Chris D'Elia, best known for playing the role of a famous comic who preys upon underage girls in the Netflix psychological thriller television series You, have sprung up seemingly overnight, spurred by a social media maelstrom.
According to Decider, claims about D'Elia's alleged sexual misconduct came to light in June 2020 after Twitter user Simone Rossi posted on social media about her past interactions with the comedian and actor. In her Twitter thread, Rossi included screenshots of private messages purportedly exchanged with D'Elia when Rossi was a teenager, citing them as an example of how D'Elia had "groomed" her in an effort to initiate a sexual relationship. Their conversations, dated from 2014, include D'Elia allegedly attempting to solicit a "pic" from Rossi, who was 16 years old at the time.
Rossi was also quick to point out the eerie parallels between D'Elia's conduct and that of his character in the second season of the TV show You. He plays a comic named Joshua "Henderson" Bunter whose comedy is based on performative "wokeness" and feminist principles, but who secretly grooms and sexually abuses underage teenage girls.
"I still can't believe Netflix cast Chris D'Elia as the pedophile in Season [2] of You like the literal irony," Rossi stated in her post. "I am also definitely not the only underage girl he did this to...I highly doubt casting this creep as a pedophile was a coincidence," she said.
Accusations against Chris D'Elia have caused a social media firestorm
Following Simone Rossi's initial post, other users took to social media with similar allegations against Chris D'Elia. Another anonymous person, who goes by the Twitter handle @SheRatesDogs, shared a screenshot of an alleged conversation with someone claiming that D'Elia had "exposed himself" to a female employee at a hotel in Cleveland in 2018 after asking for help with a supposedly malfunctioning air conditioner.
The Twitter user also shared stories from others, some of whom came forward under the condition of anonymity and others who shared their identity publicly, including one woman who claimed D'Elia had "solicited nudes" from her when she was 17 years old and would frequently contact her whenever he was in Vancouver, where she lived, with invitations to meet him backstage at his shows.
@SheRatesDogs also stated in a later tweet that they had collected "30 firsthand accounts, 100 other anonymous stories, video screen recordings, text/Snapchat/email/Instagram/Twitter screenshots, corroboration from female comics, [and] character witnesses from people who worked at venues."
So what has Chris D'Elia said since these allegations came to light?
How has Chris D'Elia responded to the allegations?
As the Twitter firestorm against comedian Chris D'Elia continues to gain momentum, the 40-year-old Los Angeles-based actor and comedian has kept mum on the veracity of the sexual misconduct claims.
D'Elia has become one of an ever-growing list of entertainers in the world of stand-up to be accused of sexual harassment since the advent of the #MeToo movement. Others include Bill Cosby, who was sentenced to prison after being convicted of charges, including sexual assault (via NPR), and Louis C.K., who was accused of sexual misconduct by at least five different women who came forward in 2017 (via The New York Times).
Those from within the comedy sphere have also come forward to address the claims against D'Elia. Comedian Alex Hooper tweeted about a previous encounter with D'Elia, slamming D'Elia's character through humor. "Years ago, on TV, Chris [D'Elia] told me I was a "f*****g weirdo," Hooper recalled. "I now know it's because my fiancé is the same age as me."
Chris D'Elia denies allegations, calls himself 'a dumb guy'
Chris D'Elia issued a statement responding to the mounting allegations of misconduct directed at him on social media. The comic told TMZ: "I know I have said and done things that might have offended people during my career, but I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point." He added, "All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me."
Though D'Elia has denied knowingly contacting minors for reasons sexual in nature, he did offer an apology for some of his past behavior. "I really am truly sorry. I was a dumb guy who ABSOLUTELY let myself get caught up in my lifestyle," D'Elia said. "That's MY fault. I own it. I've been reflecting on this for some time now and I promise I will continue to do better."
At the time of this writing, there has been no legal action taken against D'Elia, per TMZ.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for additional resources.