Whitney Cummings Is ‘Devasted and Enraged’ By Friend and Co-star Chris D’Elia’s Alleged Behavior
After comedian Chris D’Elia was accused of sexual misconduct, his former co-star and fellow comic, Whitney Cummings is finally addressing the allegations. She worked with him closely for years and considered him a friend, but now Cummings says she’s “devastated and enraged” by what she’s discovered.
Chris D’Elia is accused of misconduct by multiple women
On Twitter, multiple women came forward to accuse D’Elia of sexual misconduct. One woman, Simone Rossi, claimed that the comedian asked her for nude photographs when she was 16 and provided screenshots of her conversations with him.
“Imagine being 16 and being groomed by a stand-up comedian twice ur age and the only reason you never met up and never got physically m*lested was because u had just gotten a boyfriend ur own age,” Rossi wrote in a tweet.
After more allegations surfaced, D’Elia made a statement through TMZ. He denied the accusations but also apologized for being “dumb” and getting “caught up” in his “lifestyle.”
“I know I have said and done things that might have offended people during my career, but I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point,” D’Elia said in the statement. “All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me. That being said, I really am truly sorry — I’ve been reflecting on this for some time now and I promise I will continue to do better.”
Chris D’Elia
Whitney Cummings and D’Elia worked together on a sitcom
From 2011 to 2013, Cummings and D’Elia starred in the NBC sitcom, Whitney. The show was based on Cumming’s real-life, and her character, Whitney, was in a relationship with D’Elia’s character, Alex Miller.
In a 2011 interview with Daily Actor, D’Elia revealed that he and Cummings first met doing open mic comedy in Hollywood when they were both rising comics. He said Cummings cast him in her first stand-up production, and that they’ve become good friends over the years.
“So she’s just really – she’s been a good friend to me,” said D’Elia. “And, you know, we’ve always kept our friendship, though, which is great – She’s such a great person to know and a great person to be around.”
Cumming’s addresses the allegations against D’Elia
Days after the sexual misconduct allegations against D’Elia surfaced, Cummings took to social media to address the situation. She called his alleged behavior an “abuse of power” and vowed not to remain silent.
“It’s taken me a couple days to process the information I have learned about Chris,” Cummings wrote in a tweet. “I’m devastated and enraged by what I’ve read and learned. This is a pattern of predatory behavior. This abuse of power is enabled by silence. Now that I’m aware, I won’t be silent. Girls should be able to be a fan of a comedian they admire without being a sexual target. It’s the adult’s responsibility to be an adult.”
Whitney Cummings on Twitter
D’Elia has not responded to his friend’s comments as of yet. But he may do so in the coming days.
