Mindy Kaling was criticized for supporting Aziz Ansari. Here’s how she responded.
“Obviously we can disagree but I think people can mature and change."
Cambridge native Mindy Kaling is facing some blowback for supporting embattled comedian Aziz Ansari. Over the weekend, the actress posted a photo of a ticket to Ansari’s Friday stand-up show at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, captioning the photo, “Funniest s*** ever. ❤️”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuNsPB6neOp/
The controversy surrounding Ansari stems from a January 2018 article posted on Babe.net, in which a Brooklyn photographer whose name was not revealed said Ansari sexually assaulted her in his apartment after a date. Ansari released a statement shortly afterward saying he believed their sexual interactions were “completely consensual,” but that he “took her words to heart.” The allegation drew mixed reactions at the time, with some people questioning whether it muddled the weight of the #MeToo movement.
After staying out of the public eye for most of 2018, Ansari eventually returned to the stand-up scene, including performing several shows in New England.
After Kaling posted the ticket photo on Friday, she responded to Instagram commenters who criticized her for supporting Ansari.
“Damn, this is disappointing,” one commenter replied to Kaling’s post. “I could get if you decided to go and privately support your friend but to then publicly endorse/rehab him kinda sucks.”
“I think would be more cowardly to be his friend and not come to his defense when people disparage him in public,” Kaling responded. “Obviously I don’t love responding to Instagram comments late on a Friday night but I’m a feminist and standing up for women is very important to me. I’m not rehabbing him Bc I think he did a fine job doing it himself.”
Another commenter said that she had believed Kaling “to be a champion of women,” and was unfollowing Kaling because “as a survivor, this is disheartening.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Kaling replied. “I am a champion of women. I am also a champion of my friend and do not believe they are mutually exclusive. I don’t know your experience, but i respect however you react- sorry to see you go.”
Ansari reportedly has discussed the January 2018 incident in his stand-up, with Vulture reporting that the comedian said it was “a terrifying thing to talk about” and that he hoped he had “become a better person” during a show earlier this month in New York City.
In response to another Instagram commenter, Kaling said that Ansari “speaks about what happened in a humble , respectful and reflective way.”
“I was very impressed and proud to have him as a friend,” Kaling continued. “Obviously we can disagree but I think people can mature and change.”
