Aziz Ansari opens new Netflix special with introspective remarks on his sexual misconduct allegation

Comedian Aziz Ansari returned to Netflix with a new stand-up special on Tuesday a year-and-a-half after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, discussing the claims against him right at the start of his show.

In an article published by Babe.net last year, a woman accused Ansari of pressuring her into sexual activity as she indicated that she was uncomfortable. Ansari, who at the time said that the encounter was "completely consensual," stepped back from the spotlight following the allegation, although Netflix did not sever its relationship with the comedian.

After an opening joke in the new stand-up special Right Now about telling a fan who approached him that the comedian who "had that whole thing last year - sexual misconduct" was not him but Hasan Minhaj, Ansari dives into the situation earnestly. He tells the audience that he "just felt terrible" that the woman "felt this way" about their encounter.

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"After a year or so, I just hope it was a step forward," Ansari says. "And it moved things forward for me, it made me think about a lot. I hope I've become a better person."

Ansari goes on to say that he also hopes the situation has encouraged other men to be "more thoughtful." From there, the comedian transitions away from this topic into the rest of his special by noting this isn't "the most hilarious way to begin a comedy show" and that "that was pretty intense."

Although Ansari had previously addressed the allegations against him on his recent comedy tour, this is his first time doing so on a major platform like Netflix. The streamer has said it would work with Ansari for another season of his original series, Master of None. Brendan Morrow