Multiple women accuse comedian Chris D’Elia of sexual assault and abuse
Multiple women came forward Tuesday to accuse Chris D’Elia of sexual assault, harassment and abuse three years after the comedian and podcast host was hit with a wave of misconduct allegations.
In interviews with Rolling Stone, 10 women accused D’Elia of predatory behavior, and four of the women claimed they were teenagers when the comic, 43, allegedly preyed on them. Several of the women used only their first names or pseudonyms to avoid retaliation and online harassment for speaking out.
The women accused D’Elia of soliciting explicit videos and photos from them, making sexual demands over social media (sometimes in exchange for free tickets to his shows), emotionally manipulating them, stalking them, imposing curfews on them, micromanaging their wardrobe and monitoring their weight.
Amid multiple social media allegations against Chris D’Elia, women spoke to The Times about encounters with the stand-up comic and TV actor.
According to Rolling Stone, “D’Elia generally denied the claims made against him, but did not provide direct responses to ... multiple detailed requests for comment on specific allegations, beyond questioning the credibility of some of the women coming forward.â€
Two of the alleged victims, Jazzmyn Wollfe and Emma, claimed that after messaging D’Elia on social media they became trapped in long-term, abusive relationships with the “Whitney†and “You†star. Other women described briefer traumatic encounters they allegedly had with D’Elia.
“I’m not sure [D’Elia will] ever fully understand the scope of what he has done to a lot of women,†Emma told Rolling Stone.
Embattled comedian Chris D’Elia has been accused of threatening to release intimate, adult videos of a woman and making death threats against her.
If the requested videos and photos were not sent instantly, multiple women in the exposé claimed D’Elia would become enraged and berate them.
“I began to actually believe [I was ‘nothing’] and lose such a sense of myself as an individual person because you can only hear something so many times before you start to internalize that,†Wollfe told Rolling Stone.
Amanda Koopa, a former super-fan of D’Elia, accused the comic of forcing her to give him oral sex in his hotel room after he performed in her small Canadian hometown. She claimed that after D’Elia ordered her to get on her knees and she began shaking and crying, the comic told her, “If you just do everything I say, it’ll all be OK.â€
Comic Chris D’Elia apologizes for years of sexual misconduct and tries to explain why he did what he did. “I do have a problem,†he says.
One woman named Hailey — who allegedly received free tickets from D’Elia to one of his performances — said she was found unresponsive in the bathroom after she was given a drink by D’Elia’s entourage at the show. She allegedly woke up in her bed the next morning with no memory of what happened after she accepted the beverage.
D’Elia faced allegations of sexual misconduct in 2020 when a number of women accused the comedian of making sexual demands online, as well as sexually harassing and assaulting them in person. Some shared screenshots of their alleged exchanges with D’Elia on social media.
In the immediate aftermath, D’Elia was dropped by his talent agents. Some of his famous friends and colleagues publicly turned against him. Comedy Central removed his special “White Male. Black Comic†from all streaming platforms. His role in an upcoming zombie movie was recast. A planned prank show starring D’Elia was scrapped at Netflix.
Chris D’Elia, who just addressed sexual misconduct that came to light in July, is sued by a woman who says he sought pictures and sex from her when she was 17.
In February 2021, D’Elia released a video maintaining that all of his past encounters with women had been legal and consensual. He admitted to cheating on his partners and claimed he was addicted to sex.
“It became a lifestyle that I didn’t know how to stop,†he said at the time. “I didn’t even think I had a problem — I thought this was how it was. I thought that guys who were in my position were lucky enough and fortunate enough. ... It was going out of control. And I never stopped it.â€
“That’s not the guy I want to be,†he added. “It’s not OK, and I’m sorry for that. It makes me feel shameful and it makes me feel bad.â€
He has since mounted a comeback, performing again at comedy clubs (including Los Angeles’ the Laugh Factory), developing a loyal following on TikTok and releasing weekly episodes of his podcast, “Congratulations.†He is currently on a stand-up tour of the United States.
A representative for D’Elia did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
