Aziz Ansari has been laying low ever since he was accused of sexual misconduct in January of 2018. On Monday Ansari announced his return to Netflix–and subsequently the limelight–with a new comedy special.
New standup special Aziz Ansari: Right Now. Directed by Spike Jonze. Out July 9th on @netflix. (cc: @netflixisajoke) pic.twitter.com/oJBXdbiA1b
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) July 1, 2019
The special will be called Aziz Ansari: Right Now and is being directed by Academy Award-winner Spike Jonze, who is best known for his work on Her and Being John Malkovich. It was filmed during Ansari’s recent comedy tour, Road to Nowhere.
Ansari’s previous Netflix special was Master of None, which last hit the streaming platform in 2017 with its second–but not final–season.
At the height of the Me Too movement, Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct through a Babe.net article. The article, titled “I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life,” claimed Ansari ignored his date’s verbal and physical cues, pressuring her into sexual acts.
The accusation was controversial at the time, sparking a debate about consent. Many called the journalist who wrote the piece irresponsible and claimed it muddied the waters of the Me Too movement.
“There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way,” Ansari said of the allegation at a show. “But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”
Aziz Ansari: Right Now has a July 9 release date.
READ MORE:
- Aziz Ansari quietly returns to standup following sexual misconduct report
- The Aziz Ansari story proves we need to give women a safe space to define their experiences
- Aziz Ansari, ‘Cat Person,’ and the language of consent
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H/T Variety