Shamed comic being welcomed back into the fold

Comedian Louis CK has been  further welcomed back into the fold of the American comedy scene with two headline bookings at the New York Comedy Festival.

The stand-up has been largely ostracised by the industry since admitting to a pattern of sexual misconduct in 2017, instead touring and releasing specials independently. 

But his high-profile booking at the 3,000-capacity Beacon Theatre in Manhattan’s Upper West Side as part of the curated festival signifies his rehabilitation into the US industry, or at least some of it.

The New York Comedy Festival will feature more than 200 comedians at 100 shows at venues for ten days from November 7. Other headliners include Margaret Cho, Alex Edelman, Chris Fleming, Pete Holmes and  Morgan Jay.

In a statement announcing the line-up, Caroline Hirsch, the owner and founder of the festival  called it ‘a dynamic mix of global headliners and rising voices that reflect where comedy is right now and where it’s headed. We’re proud to continue to bring New York City the very best of the best.’ 

‘In a constantly shifting landscape, we stay committed to spotlighting new voices, championing fresh perspectives, breaking form, and shaping a festival that sets the standard both creatively and commercially.’

In a 2017 New York Times exposé, four female comedians made allegations against CK, which he subsequently admitted were true.

Julia Wolov and Dana Goodman  said the comedian stripped naked and masturbated after inviting them to his hotel room during the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, in 2002.

Abby Schachner said she heard CK masturbating during a work phone call, and  Rebecca Corry told how the comedian asked to masturbate in front of her on the set of a TV pilot they were taping. 

A fifth woman, who did not want to be named, told how he repeatedly asked her to watch him masturbate.

Many in the industry turned their back on him  in the immediate aftermath of the revelations, with the cancellation of all his screen work, estimated to be worth  $35 million.

However, his Live at Madison Square Garden recording controversially won the Grammy for best comedy album in 2022.

Hirsch was one of the first to work with CK again following the scandal, booking him at her now-closed New York club,  Carolines on Broadway in 2019 and arguing  people needed to be more forgiving.

She has said of that decision: ‘When is the right time after somebody apologises, what is the right time that you can say, "Okay, we accept your apology. You’ve taken your abuse, and now you can come back to the fold." What is the right time for that? Is it never?’

Published: 15 Jul 2025