Comedian Chris D’Elia Posts Emotional Video Addressing Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Chris D’Elia posted a video on his YouTube channel addressing allegations that surfaced eight months ago, claiming that he was grooming underage girls online and allegedly exposing himself to several women. Since then, he hasn’t been posting any new podcast episodes and has remained quiet after his initial response.
“I know it looks bad and it doesn’t show the full scope of what happened. I stand by the fact that all my relationships have been consensual and legal and that’s just it. That’s the truth,” D’Elia says in the video.
He goes on to say through his time away, “What I have come to understand is, this was always about sex to me. My life was, I mean, sex, it controlled my life. It was the focus — it was my focus all the time and I had a problem, and I do have a problem. It’s not like, months down the line [and] everything’s better. I need to do work on that.”
The 40-year-old admitted he’s cheated in most of his relationships including his current one with fiancée Kristin Taylor, whom he has a child with.
D’Elia told gossip web site 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. 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. That being said, I really am truly sorry. I was a dumb guy who absolutely let myself get caught up in my lifestyle. 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.”
The podcast host says the relationships he had were all consensual and legal, but he acknowledges his conduct was wrong because of the way he approached sex.
In June 2020, a flood of accusations D’Elia received on social media that he’d engaged in inappropriate messaging with teenage girls surfaced. Then, in September, two women came forward to accuse D’Elia of sexual misconduct, alleging he had exposed himself to them without their consent, according to USA Today.
Weirdly, Chris D’Elia starred in Netflix’s You, where he played a pedophile with a secret basement room who menaces a 15-year-old girl.