Louis CK's #MeToo scandal getting documentary treatment

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Samantha Bergeson
Thu, August 25, 2022 at 6:30 AM·2 min read

Louis C.K.’s fall from grace will now be at the center of a #MeToo documentary for Showtime.

The network announced plans for a documentary about C.K. after he stepped away from projects in 2017 following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. The “Louie” creator recently won his third Grammy for a 2020 self-released comedy special “Sincerely, Louis C.K.” and debuted the film “Fourth of July” earlier this summer.

“Louis C.K. is a slightly different situation [compared to Harvey Weinstein],” Showtime CEo, Paramount+ chief content officer, and Paramount TV head of scripted originals David Nevins said during the Edinburgh TV Festival in Scotland, as reported by Variety. “[He is] a great, great comedian who has come back in his own way.”

The documentary will involve the New York Times reporters who broke the story that C.K. had been accused of masturbating in front of five women. The documentary, which is directed by Caroline Sun and produced by Amanda Branson-Gill (“Mrs. America”) and The New York Times, is still currently in production and will focus on reflecting on the five years since the allegations came to light at the start of the #MeToo movement.

“I don’t think the social change that #MeToo has brought about is resolved at all,” Nevins explained. “There’s a bit of backlash against #MeToo, who has to go away and who’s allowed to come back.”

Netflix, HBO, and FX (where had an overall deal) cut ties with C.K. following the allegations of the comedian exposing himself to women. C.K. issued a statement at the time of the accusations, saying, “These stories are true. When you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”

C.K. later went on a 24-city, sold-out nationwide tour in 2021.

Comedy writer and performer Julia Wolov, one of C.K.’s five accusers, spoke out after C.K.’s Grammy win in April 2022.

“These big brands can’t have Louis C.K. starring in a movie. Disney can’t have Louis C.K. But a little black box comedy club can do whatever they want,” Wolov said of C.K.’s comedy tours. “Everyone is about the bottom line. If Louis can sell tickets for a small comedy club, then they will.”

She added, “I don’t believe in cancel culture, but obviously, Louis is not canceled. He seems fine to me. He’s touring. He’s selling out. He’s winning Grammys.”

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Showtime scraps Louis CK #MeToo documentary

A feature-length documentary following Louis C.K.'s Me Too downfall and his return to stand-up will not move forward at Showtime, Variety confirmed. Caroline Suh (Blackpink: Light Up the Sky) was slated to direct the project following its announcement last August at the Edinburgh TV Festival in Scotland.