Amy Schumer On What Women Can Learn From Those Messy Aziz Ansari Allegations: 'Not Only Can You Leave, But You Need To Leave'

Amy Schumer isn’t putting her friendships above movements.
The 36-year-old spoke on the situation surrounding fellow comedian Aziz Ansari, who was put in the crosshairs of the #MeToo movement after a woman he went on a date with accused him of making sexual advances even though she was “physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested.”
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While Schumer was definitely sympathetic to the anonymous accuser, she said the allegations shouldn’t be about lynching the Master of None star, as we’re so quick to do in this post-Cosby world, but teaching women not to put up with behavior that makes them uncomfortable.
Speaking on The Katie Couric Podcast, the Snatched star explained:

“I don’t think anyone wants to see Aziz’s career ruined or his life ruined or anything like that, but that’s where people’s minds go. They go ├óΓé¼╦£Does he deserve this?’ And it’s really not about that. I think it’s about expressing and showing women that that behavior is not okay and not only can you leave, but you need to leave. Because then the women who come after you, you’re leaving a mark for them too.”

Ansari’s accuser said she told the actor she didn’t want to feel forced into sex on the night of the alleged incident. She claimed that while he expressed understanding, he later tried again by trying to kiss her and undoing her pants.
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The case has polarized supporters of the #MeToo movement, with some rallying behind the woman while others saying she’s at fault for not being more direct. Schumer sees both sides, but, given her own history with sexual abuse, empathizes with the 23-year-old accuser:

“It’s not a crime, but it’s not cool. And it can still really mess with a woman.”

She added of Ansari:

“He’s been my friend and I really feel for the woman. I identify with all the women in these situations. Even if it’s my friend, I don’t go, ├óΓé¼╦£Oh, but he’s a good guy.’ I think, ├óΓé¼╦£What would it feel like to have been her?’ “

So, what do we learn from this? Schumer says that women should make “no” excuses when it comes to behavior that makes them uncomfortable:

“If you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the Aziz one, I don’t think there’s any sort of criminal charge, but I think that it’s good for everybody to learn that that behavior’s not acceptable.”

Never one to beat around the bush about her own sex horror stories, the comedienne spoke on her first sexual experience at age 17 that was not consensual. She explained to Couric:

“I’ve been flat-out raped. But there are so many other kinds of sexual misconduct. We’ve all ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ every woman I know, every woman in this room ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ we’ve all had these experiences. And in this current climate, it brings these things up and you go ├óΓé¼╦£God, none of that was okay.’ “

But looking ahead, Schumer sees the current movement as a teachable moment for men, adding: