American comedian Louis CK has said the allegations of sexual misconduct against him are true.

He issued a statement as his new film I Love You Daddy was scrapped by its distributor after five women made claims against the Emmy-winning performer.

Comedy actresses Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov are among the accusers and they told the New York Times he had masturbated in front of them after inviting them to his hotel room after a show in 2002.

Another actress, Abby Schachner, said the comedian masturbated while he was on the phone to her when she called to invite him to one of her shows.

Rebecca Corry, a comedian, claimed the actor asked her if he could masturbate in front of her in 2005.


The fifth woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he repeatedly asked her to watch him masturbate while she was working in production on The Chris Rock Show in the late 1990s, when he was a writer and producer.

Louis CK said in his statement: "These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d*** without asking first, which is also true.

"But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d*** 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."

The comedian went on to say he was "remorseful" for his actions and that he had "tried to learn from them".

He also indicated he would now "step back".

Louis CK said: "I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen."

The admission follows a series of sexual assault allegations against powerful figures in Hollywood, including those against Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein.