Louis C.K.'s Manager Apologizes: "What I Did Was Wrong"

Prominent 3 Arts Entertainment rep Dave Becky has issued a statement expressing regret for how he handled claims of sexual misconduct: "I want to ensure that all voices around me are heard, and that everyone is treated respectfully and empathetically."

Manager-producer Dave Becky, who until last week had represented Louis C.K., has issued a lengthy apology for how he handled allegations of sexual misconduct involving his longtime client.

In the statement, released Monday, Becky expresses regret and dismisses whispers that he knew more about his client's questionable behavior. Becky, a prominent manager at 3 Arts Entertainment who represents many A-list comedians, says that he was only aware of one incident involving comedians Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, two of five women who came forward in a story published Nov. 9 by The New York Times. The story detailed Louis C.K.'s pattern of behavior that repeatedly saw the comedian take out his penis or masturbate in front of women or while on the phone. A day later, Louis C.K. confirmed their accounts in his own apology.

"I profoundly regret and am deeply sorry for not listening to and not understanding what happened to Dana and Julia," Becky says in his statement, referring to Goodman and Wolov, who told the Times that C.K. had invited them to his hotel room after their U.S. Comedy Arts Festival performance in Aspen, Colo. Once inside, he asked them if he could take out his penis, which he did. He also disrobed and started masturbating. "If I had, I would have taken this event as seriously as it deserved to be, and I would have confronted Louis, which would have been the right thing to do."

Becky goes on to provide additional context to the situation, he says, in an effort for others to "not make the same mistake that I did." One of those errors, he says, is that he misinterpreted what he was being told.

"At that time, I heard the story third-hand, and I interpreted the conversation as two women telling a story about a sexual encounter with a then-married Louis. Albeit enormously embarrassing, in no way did I interpret the interaction as threatening or non-consensual. I misperceived the casual way the story was portrayed to me — instead I should have recognized that it must have been a mask for their unease and discomfort in the face of his detestable behavior," he says. "My intent was to seek discretion to protect what I thought was a matter of infidelity. I now comprehend that my response was perceived as a threat to cover-up sexual misconduct. This is not an excuse. What I did was wrong, and again, I am extremely sorry."

In the Times story, it was reported that the women felt that they had been warned by Becky to stop speaking of the incident, a claim Becky denied in that story.

"In hindsight, I was operating blindly from a one-sided place of privilege. Until last week, I knew only of this one isolated incident. Although this may sound naïve, it is true. Never once, in all of these years, did anyone mention any of the other incidents that were reported recently — I am appalled to learn of these. I have come to realize my status wielded an atmosphere where such news did not reach me, or worse yet, that it seemed such news did not matter to me. It does. It matters tremendously."

In addition to Goodman and Wolov, other women who came forward include Abby Schachner, Rebecca Corry and one who wished to remain anonymous.

Like Louis C.K., Becky ends his statement saying that he is "going to take time to reflect on the situation" as a way to "educate myself daily, and to strive towards a more enlightened path. I want to ensure that all voices around me are heard, and that everyone is treated respectfully and empathetically. More than anything, I want to create an environment that is a better, safer and fairer place."

Becky's apology is also noteworthy because agents and managers so rarely speak out about sensitive matters involving their clients. Though many industry insiders — and the media at large — have questioned just how complicit representatives have been in high profile sex scandals involving figures like Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey or James Toback, no agents or managers have gone on the record thus far. Becky's other clients include Kevin Hart, Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Maya Rudolph, Pamela Adlon (who issued her own statement about the situation) and Natasha Lyonne.

As for C.K., he is no longer represented by Becky. In the wake of the Times report, C.K. parted ways with 3 Arts, his publicist Lewis Kay, FX (where he has a stable of shows), Netflix, HBO and The Orchard, the latter of which was to handle the release his new film I Love You, Daddy. On Friday, after saying that "these stories are true," Louis C.K's statement went on to read, "At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my dick 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 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."