In the audio, reportedly from a recent comedy set, the audience is heard laughing as the comedian mocks the students for testifying before Congress.
“Testify in front of Congress, these kids, what the f***? What are you doing?” asks the man in the audio clip. “Cause you went to a high school where kids got shot, why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting? You didn’t get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way and now I gotta listen to you talking?”
Clips of the audio started popping up on social media over the weekend. James Dolce, the owner of Governor’s Comedy Club in Levittown, New York, told CNN that the performance took place at his club in December.
The comedian performed six shows over 14 days at three of his clubs, Dolce said. Each show was sold out, he said.
“People love him. The crowds love him. He played to standing ovations for all six shows,” Dolce said.
Dolce said he was not sure how a portion of the performance was recorded, because the club has a strict no filming or recording policy. During the performances, “there was not one bit of controversy, no one said he shouldn’t be on stage,” he said.
Dolce said he is not paying much attention to the backlash. “I don’t get too involved with that. I’m not his producer or his agent. I’m just a comedy club owner,” he said.
Will he book Louis CK again? “Of course. Sure. Without a doubt,” Dolce said. “He’ll be back. I don’t know exactly when, but without a doubt.”
Parkland survivors respond
Other gun control activists weighed in as well. Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, criticized the comedian not only for his gun violence comments, but also for other comments on the recording that dismiss common pronoun etiquette in transgender and non-binary communities.
CNN is trying to reach Louis C.K. for comment.
Other controversies
“These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my (penis) without asking first, which is also true,” he said in a statement obtained by CNN at the time. “But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your (penis) 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.”
Louis C.K. went on to say that he is “remorseful” and has “tried to learn” from his irresponsible behavior.
CNN’s Chloe Melas and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
Source : CNN