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On Friday, the Los Angeles Times released an article in which comedian Bryan Callen was accused of sexual assault or misconduct by four women.
Now, Callen is speaking out, denying allegations of any sexual misconduct.
In an Instagram video posted on Sunday, Callen said, “When you’re in a situation like I am, you get a lot of advice from a lot of different people, and it usually falls into two different categories. They either tell you to post a statement and disappear or they say to lay low and let the news cycle pass you by… Well, for better or for worse, I’m not doing any of that.”
He continued, “I have been falsely accused of terrible things that I did not do.”
Callen finished the video by stating that he would be taking a leave of absence from his podcast, “The Fighter and the Kid.”
Callan States He Believes in the #MeToo Movement
In the video, Callan added that he views the #MeToo movement as “one of the most important movements of my lifetime, because of the first time in history it gives women recourse against the abuse of power, and that makes the world a better place.”
He continued, “But I also believe in due process, and we live in a very strange time where anybody can make an allegation against you and you are guilty until proven innocent… It’s just a fact that social media and the press alone can act as judge, jury and executioner… [so] when something like this happens, this is pretty much the only way you can defend yourself.”
Katherine Fiore Tigerman Alleges That Callen Raped Her
In the Los Angeles Times article released on July 31, Katherine Fiore Tigerman accused Callen of rape and sexual misconduct.
In a subsequent statement to The Times, Callan denied raping Tigerman and described their encounter as consensual.
Along with Tigerman, three additional women told The Times they “had been mistreated by Callen… describing troubling sexual incidents ranging from assault to misconduct to disturbing comments.”
One woman who worked at American Apparel in 2009 stated that Callen, “pinned her against the wall of a fitting room,” and kissed her against her will. Another said that Callen told her that women have a “biological primal desire to be raped.” The fourth woman to come forward to the Los Angeles Times said that Callen asked her to perform oral sex on him in exchange for money and stage time.
In his statement, Callen said, “Let me be very clear: I have never raped, forced myself upon any woman nor offered to trade stage time for sex. EVER… I know the truth. And I can only hold my head up high, remain true to myself, my family, my audience and know that I will not allow the cancel culture to subvert what I know and as importantly, what they know, is the truth.”
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