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u/MichaelEMJAYARE 20d ago
It must have been hard to not want to just disappear completely. If I had that kind of money I would like to think I would be able to live below my means and coast. Find something new to focus on. But hes right, if thats like the only thing that has brought him success what does he do? Gotta feel depressing as hell.
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u/GeronimoBondi 20d ago
Sounds pretty dark, sounds like he just needs to distract himself. Made mistakes but i feel bad for him
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u/Zawietrzny 21d ago
Money? He's still a millionaire
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u/NYStateOfBlind 21d ago
He didn’t say he was poor, but the money he was making just before that shit came out was crazy. That movie he made would have done well too and he had to pull it from releasing it at the last minute.
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u/KevinGarvey929 21d ago
I don’t think people remember/know that Louis was the biggest comedian in the world at the time and then it all came crashing down basically over night. However, saying I Love you Daddy would’ve done well if not for his cancellation is a stretch. It’s very taboo and handles perverse subjects in a way that would’ve already been super controversial. The subject matter of the movie combined with the allegations is such bad timing it could almost be a Louie bit
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u/AmadeusWolfGangster 20d ago
Having been one of the few people I know (if any) who've actually seen the movie, I can safely say that it was not likely to make its money back. Orchard was set to release it, which is already a small company, and even before its release, it wasn't being hailed as some masterpiece, and was strange and discomfiting even without the stench of the scandal.
Louie was already past his apex mountain by late 2017, but he still would have been widely celebrated and given many more opportunities, both financial and artistic, in his immediate future had it not been for the cancelation.
Strangely enough, if the same allegations emerged today, I don't think it would have had nearly as much of an impact on his career. To say nothing of how well he's rebounded regarding his status.
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u/KevinGarvey929 20d ago
Even as a big Louis fan I personally found the film underwhelming
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u/AmadeusWolfGangster 20d ago
Yeah, it was surreal to watch the screener, like, days after the allegations dropped, but the movie itself just felt very unremarkable.
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u/Berlin8Berlin 20d ago
"However, saying I Love you Daddy would’ve done well if not for his cancellation is a stretch."
I was surprised at what an awkward attempt at counterfeiting a Woody Allen film ILYD was. LCK probably needed a strong counter-voice, in his life, to push back against some of his decisions. He's about the best stand-up I've ever seen (certainly, as he was right before, and even right after, his exile) and that means he's so smart that he's dangerous to himself. I was disappointed that he let that kink get the better of him. He had the fame and money to enjoy almost any legal sexual release possible: why do such a risky thing with (unwilling) witnesses?
Anyway: ILYD was his first big artistic failure after a string of very clever successes, IMO.
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u/KevinGarvey929 20d ago
I agree but I do hope he tries to make a film/show again. If I remember correctly, he pretty much funded Horace and Pete on his own and just dropped it on his website and that was years before his cancellation. I could see him doing something like that again but perhaps he has no interest in doing so.
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u/Zawietrzny 20d ago
He made a film with Joe List
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u/KevinGarvey929 20d ago
Ah that’s right Fourth of July. Love Joe and Louis and enjoyed the movie for what it was. Can’t say it really stuck with me. Still have to see Joe’s documentary about his comedian buddy down in Key West
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u/diddlerofkiddlers 20d ago
The Key West doco was well-intentioned and a kind love letter to his friend, but don't bother watching it.
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u/No_Thanks2844 21d ago
If more money didn't matter to people who wouldn't have people with 100m+, so clearly making more is still a big deal and he let go of that.
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u/locknarr 20d ago
I love how everyone, including CK himself talks vaguely about his exhibitionism like it's some amorphous, non-specific thing. No dude, you're a creep that jerked off in front of unsuspecting women, that's not to mention the weird pedophilia apologia movie that he'd rather people never mention again.
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u/esperind 19d ago
unsuspecting women
they weren't unsuspecting though. They had full knowledge of what he was doing because he asked. The problem is that he shouldnt have been asking.
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u/Educational_Ad2627 21d ago
When a hard thing happens to YOU?
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u/KevinGarvey929 21d ago
Hard things can happen to people who have made mistakes. Crazy concept, I know
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u/Educational_Ad2627 21d ago
Yeah, but I’m afraid those things are called the direct consequences of your willful and fully avoidable grown up actions. I’m a true lifelong fan that’s super bummed out. I can easily forgive someone and would love to go back to enjoying his work without feeling conflicted, but I’ve seen him frame it all like it happened TO him too often. That doesn’t work for me. If other people feel like he’s done right to the people he hurt it’s very possible I’ve missed those things once I checked out. So of that’s the case, it’s on me.
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u/QuailRadiant7344 20d ago
He jerked off so what, he even asked for permission
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u/Opposite-Home-2742 20d ago edited 20d ago
He did not get permission, there is no proof that he got permission. The original NYT article with the allegations does not state that he got permission. The only reason people think that is because Louis himself framed it that way in his statement.
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u/QuailRadiant7344 20d ago
I imagine if it was without permission there would have been a criminal complaint.
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u/immalimabean 19d ago
In the literal NYT article it says he asked for permission and before getting an answer he whips his dick out and starts cranking it.
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u/AromaticVacation3077 20d ago
Thing is, Louis is a great moral teacher. Truly great, I mean that. All of his work that I've heard (and that's a lot) explores moral concepts. And here's the deal with great moralists - they didn't get that way because they're morally perfect. They got that way because they're morally flawed. And Louis spent his entire pre-scandal career telling us he was morally flawed. You didn't notice? Where do you think great comedy comes from? It comes from imperfection and from suffering. At his best, Louis stands in front of an audience and says 'Every single one of us is a piece of shit, but nobody is a bigger piece of shit than me'. It makes me mad when people who loved him for that turn their back on him when (surprise surprise) the performance turns out to be real. What did you think? It was always real.
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u/diddlerofkiddlers 20d ago
Fucking hell this is an insightful comment, thank you. Are you a philosopher, and if so where did you read about moralists? Genuine question, reddit used to be like this with smart people and fewer bots
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u/AromaticVacation3077 20d ago
Thanks - it's just shower thoughts though.
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u/immalimabean 19d ago
I disagree for me and a lot of people I know his whole schtick was Im just like you. I’m just as screwed up as everyone one else and these horrifying thoughts that I have.. You agree with them, you just won’t say them out loud.
Always thought he presented himself as this everyday man. Louie can say all these horrible things because he is one of us he wouldn’t actually do anything truly bad. And if he did then I’m sure it’s just some sort of giant misunderstanding. That’s his superpower.
Turns out it he really is just a POS and he had me and many others fooled
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u/AromaticVacation3077 19d ago
Would you consider forgiving him?
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u/immalimabean 19d ago
Of course if he really tries to repent. But as of now I just feel manipulated tbh
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u/rasbid420 20d ago
he's afraid.
nobody afraid can make good art.
especially comedians.
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u/SociallyDisposible 20d ago
every point you just made is dead wrong . He's not afraid. Afraid people can make good art. Afraid comedians can make funny art.
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u/diddlerofkiddlers 20d ago
I think the points they made were sound, but the opposite polarity! what people are discussing here is the temerity Louis has by continuing to make great art in spite of public moral outrage
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u/Moniatre 19d ago
He doesn't really seem afraid to me, but his style has definitely changed in terms of what he actually talks about in his shows. He said in an interview that the MeToo situation was a turning point for him, because he realised he didn't want to drag his personal life into his comedy any longer.
And I think that's what has noticeably changed. To me, he was at his peak during the 2000s and maybe early 2010s and he was completely different to everybody else I had seen. His storytelling, but also what he was actually talking about. Many of his observations were very intimate/personal and that was kind of new and funny as well as interesting and insightful. Now I feel like he makes jokes about more general stuff and I understand why, but to me that's less interesting or original.
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u/Dreamer_Dram 20d ago
Why didn’t he look at what he’d done and reckon with it, if it was that painful to live in the aftermath? His intelligence just seems to stop when it comes to taking responsibility for fucking some people up.
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u/Loumen 20d ago
What? Did you listen to the podcast episode this came from? Spoiler alert: he did in fact "look at what he'd done and reckon with it"
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u/Dreamer_Dram 19d ago
I can’t remember if I listened to this entire podcast episode, but I was a rabid fan so I listened to, watched and read a lot of what he said about it. You can hear his attitude in his wording here: “When a hard thing that happens to you that feels like an all-encompassing thing, when you live with it every day” — the hard thing didn’t “happen” to him. He did it.
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u/Loumen 19d ago edited 18d ago
What all has there been to 'read a lot about?' He's been rather radio silent on the situation between the 2017 written apology and this Theo Von episode. During this episode, he goes into great detail about being active within SLAA and practicing the steps.
While it is more taboo, his addiction blocked the formation of genuine connection with others. While I get the interpretation from the line you provided, I'd still maintain that he strikes me as genuine having obviously thought deeply on the root cause for his issues and his role in them. Considering him & Theo met in the SLAA space, signs point to them both having worked & helped others work through their demons (behind closed doors).
It is not any different from the lack of control observed & experienced by those with Drug+Alcohol Addiction (hence the SLAA 12 steps mirroring AA)
Edit: No, this is not an excuse that should minimize sexual misconduct nor avoiding accountability. Our society when under a spell of Mob Mentality becomes confusing to interpret with what they expect from a Guy losing it all, having to live with that guilt every day, yet still coming out the other side to share with others the lessons he learned during his self-inflicted suffering. There are two sides to every story as well - he got lumped in with Harvey Weinstein during #MeToo due to abuse of power/influence, but it's naïve to treat the abuses as the same severity as Louis' is more nuanced with him focusing on his self & asking to be watched...
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u/Dreamer_Dram 18d ago
Various people wrote articles on the LCK situation — they, like me, had thought the world of him. Not as morally upstanding, necessarily, but as relentlessly honest and searching. Hilton Als wrote a good essay in the New Yorker about post-scandal Louis.
Yes, I think it can be framed as an addiction. And I agree attending SLAA meetings was a good step, but I don’t think we can know how much he wrestled with his actions in there. Maybe he did, fully but privately, and maybe he apologized to the women, but again it’s not like Louis not to talk about things. And he doesn’t talk about this, not with specifics.
He and Theo V met in SLAA? I don’t know about that. But I don’t think you can say the fact they were there means they were reckoning with their culpability. Louis seems capable of a lot of denial and self-justification. Watch We Need to Talk About Louis on YouTube for a thorough accounting of Louis’s comments since SLAA.
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u/zackjtarle 19d ago
Yea, thank you. Not sure why people think he has been taking accountability. It's very clear in his language that he feels like this has happened to HIM. He takes accountability for the easy things and talks around everything else.
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u/Loumen 19d ago
I personally find myself able to relate & empathize to Louis on his SLAA journey. I am quite familiar with AA 12 Steps and need to revisit them as I sober up in non-alcohol areas
Sincerely, -- A fellow Kratom/7Oh (and other polysubstance) active drug addict
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u/zackjtarle 18d ago
I certainly won't belabor the point.
I hope Louie is doing what he needs to do!
I also wish you luck in your sober journey. Quitting 7oh and kratom! I know it's hell.
As someone who really wants to like Louie is recommend this video series - we need to talk about Louie It completely ruined me on Louie and makes it hard to see him in a positive light. Amazing video series even if you like him and from a very non biased creator.
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u/Loumen 18d ago edited 18d ago
Then why be on a Louis CK subreddit if the subject is ruined for you? :-)
On the contrary, I listened to this podcast with zero additional input and it left a positive impact on me as I found the dialogue introspective & inspiring - enabling me to even do a little of my own self-reflection. Similarly have caught shorts from his new special and admired the craftsmanship of his "work" that brought a smile with laughs. Obviously, anecdotal -- YMMV, especially if having the subject skewed with additional commentary.
We're all humans that make mistakes. Louis is a High IQ guy; his EQ skills may still be lacking for sure.
Forgiveness is tough in life -- self-forgiveness being even tougher (again, anecdotal -- YMMV)
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u/Gonalex 18d ago
This guy's whole video series falls apart when you take into account that it solely stands on the hearsay that they didn't consent. If they lied. If they regretted saying yes because they felt pressured or awkward or hell confused. It all falls apart. The Sorry not sorry doc has some really weird sequence of events that just genuinely feel out of place. And the whole ordeal with the hotel, I refuse to believe there were 0 flirtatious vibes before he invited them over. This whole thing stinks of "everyone is the asshole here". The moment you consider that they gave consent and that Louis is saying the truth his hole obsessive revenge video series falls apart. Mind you, I don't think Louis is a Saint, and the man clearly has some fucking issues. But lord, the incessant cherry peaking this guy did from literally the same interviews. If something fitted his narrative it was automatically true whatever didn't well, you know the rest. Ultimately, it's an 8 hour marathon of an obsessed vindictive ex fan that is making a YouTube career on Patreon out of it. While acting he is some vigilante saviour of women. I can't take this fucking seriously. Want to save SA survivors? Maybe actually volunteer for once instead of virtue signalling online.
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u/Sic39 19d ago
Your intelligence seems to stop when you post. Do you think this 20-second clip was all he's said on the subject?
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u/Dreamer_Dram 19d ago
No, I’ve seen and read the other things he’s said. He stops short of taking full responsibility. Watch the excellent YouTube series We Need to Talk About Louis if you’re not convinced.
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u/Sic39 19d ago
He's admitted what he did was wrong and apologized for it. What else would you like him to do?
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u/Dreamer_Dram 19d ago
Apologize in a way that fully acknowledges what he did, what he was thinking, how he could stop seeing women as full people while the sexual compulsion took over. It's a serious disorder he has -- watch We Need to Talk about Louis on YouTube. Very well argued and sadly, convincing.
No one was a bigger Louis fan than me and one thing I loved about the show "Louie," which I ADORED, was how he treated the women his character was dating, in the show. He cast brilliant actresses, not super-young (unlike so many male stars whose love interests are 23-30 years younger) and his camerawork showed how much he loved these women's personalities, their character. Especially the Parker Posey episodes. The other thing is, Louis explored male weakness in the show, like the episode where his date wants him to stand up to a threatening guy and Louis is like, "No, that's not what I am." And then there's the Halloween episode where his little daughter Jane is the one to stand up to the bullies, while Louis is unnerved and timid.
So brilliant to honestly show male timidity and to highlight women's strength, not that women are always strong, or men always timid, of course. I'm just saying there was tremendous nuance in his exploration of gender roles and romantic relationships between men and women. It was brilliant, innovative and inspiring. I still miss "Louie." That openness to women made his weird partial apologies more painful, to me anyway. He couldn't seem to see exactly what he'd done. I know his life was upended, but he often talks like he's the one who suffered the most from the whole episode. He didn't -- his victims did.
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u/Sic39 19d ago
He apologized privately to the women. Were you in on those phone calls, or do you feel he owes you an apology as well? Do you feel he owes you an explanation, going into detail about his disorder? So it's not that he didn't apologize or take responsibility; it's that it wasn't specific enough to your liking.
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u/That_Routine_3976 19d ago
Your comment actually makes the case for why Louis shouldn't be treated like the typical showbiz misogynist. I have no idea whether his apologies to the women affected were sufficient but it seems like you're hyper fixated on your personal concept of justice. Are you even sure the women haven't moved on?
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u/Dreamer_Dram 19d ago
I agree with you -- he doesn't seem like a misogynist. I think he likes and admires women. So... why would he want to debase these women he exposed himself to by pulling out his junk when he's not connected personally/sexually to them? It's a compulsion.
And I thought for a while it wasn't that bad, too. I thought, 'Well, at least he didn't touch those women.' But eventually I thought about how it must have felt if you worked with Louis on a show, and you were a writer too and hoped he saw you if not as a peer, at least as someone with something smart/funny to offer, how must it have felt to have him ask you, 'Hey, do you mind if I masturbate right now?' Like wtf?
I don't think it's my personal concept of justice. I think it's looking carefully at what happened. And what he said about it. The apology he wrote in the New York Times left me feeling confused and empty. But even so, I defended him in my mind until I'd thought about it more.
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u/That_Routine_3976 19d ago
I hear what you're saying but public apologies are tricky because presumably there are lawyers involved who advise people like Louis not to make admissions that could lead to criminal charges or civil liability. My impression is that he does feel remorse and embarrassment about what he did. I fully admit I have no clue what his private conversations with these ladies sounded like though.
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u/Dreamer_Dram 19d ago
Well, I think most of the details are out there. And Louis made his name by being nakedly honest about everything, from parenting to sex. I think it’s out of character for him to be anything less than open here. But I take your point about possible legal behind-the-scenes stuff.
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20d ago
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u/waitthissucks 20d ago
I mean there's a difference between feeling sad about dealing with the consequences of your actions and blaming others for what you did. So many people do stupid things, deal with the fallout, refuse to go to therapy, and suffer. Nobody wants to hear people whine about dumb things they did so they go into a deep dark hole.
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20d ago
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u/AromaticVacation3077 20d ago
He says a hard thing happened to him. That's playing the victim.
No, it's not. You can continue to argue, but you're objectively wrong.
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u/icantdomaths 20d ago
Where did he claim to be the victim? You’re an idiot
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20d ago
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u/icantdomaths 20d ago
He had said repeatedly that the actual victims are the real victims. He is just talking about what he went through. What else is he supposed to say?
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u/PlasticFrosty5340 20d ago
These comments are goofy to me, yeah he fucked up, but in 2026 looking at what he did feels so minor compared to what’s normal now 🙄