Aziz Ansari has spoken about the sexual misconduct allegation levied against him last year during a comedy show in New York, saying he hopes he has become "a better person" since then.
The Master of None star made a stand-up appearance in New York City on Monday where he addressed the allegation made by a 23-year-old woman to the website Babe in January 2018.
She accused Ansari of trying to pressure her having sex with him after the two went on a date in September 2017.
"I felt violated," she told the website. "It took a really long time for me to validate this as sexual assault."
At the time, Ansari released a statement saying it was "by all indications was completely consensual".
He has now commented on the incident during a stand-up comedy show at the Village Underground in New York City.
According to Vulture, Ansari sat down and his voice turned "sombre" when he began speaking about the allegation of sexual misconduct.
He said he hadn't really talked about the incident as "it's a terrifying thing to talk about".
Ansari continued: "There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way.
"But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person."
He went on to recall a conversation in which a friend told him it made him rethink every date he has been on.
"If that has made not just me but other guys think about this, and just be more thoughtful and aware and willing to go that extra mile, and make sure someone else is comfortable in that moment, that’s a good thing", Ansari commented.
The actor and comedian added that it has given him "perspective" on his life and said he is grateful to be able to perform comedy for a living.
"There was a moment," he said, "where I was scared that I’d never be able to do this again."
