Netflix is welcoming Louis CK back into its fold.
The comedian, long subject to questions regarding rehabilitation and so-called “cancel culture”, will headline a show at the Hollywood Bowl next month as part of the streamer’s Netflix Is a Joke festival – his first major outing with a streamer since allegations of sexual misconduct at the height of the #MeToo movement. Later this summer, Netflix will also premiere CK’s new special, Ridiculous, which he directed and executive-produced.
The projects represent the first time that Netflix has worked with the comedian since his 2017 special Louis CK 2017, which premiered months before a New York Times report in which five women, including fellow female comedians, accused CK of sexual misconduct – specifically, that he exposed himself and masturbated in front of several women (or asked to do so), and that his agent knew about it. CK later admitted to the allegations – “these stories are true,” he said – and said that, at the time, he believed his behavior was appropriate, because he asked first. “But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question,” he added. “It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”
In the wake of the allegations, Netflix, as well as FX and HBO, severed ties with CK, then one of the most famous and bankable standup comedians in the US, as a part of an industry-wide censure. The distributor of I Love You, Daddy, a film CK wrote, directed and starred in – and which featured a character pretending to masturbate in front of others – also cancelled its premiere. In a note to fans at the time, CK promised to take space to listen and learn.
CK began working again, albeit at a lower profile, within months, igniting questions about rehabilitation and repentance, how much time is enough and what really counted as “cancellation”. CK continued to tour the US and Europe and sell out large venues such as New York’s Madison Square Garden. In 2022, he was awarded a Grammy for the standup special Sincerely Louis CK, which offered, as the Guardian’s Brian Logan wrote, a “not-quite apology – heavier on self-pity than concern for the women involved” which “won’t be enough for those outraged by CK’s behaviour”.
In 2023, the documentary Sorry/Not Sorry – which took its name in part from another post-#MeToo CK special – detailed the fallout for the women who spoke publicly about their experience with CK, many of whom faced further harassment and backlash. The film examined how much public focus turned on the women’s reactions – which became fodder for CK pal Dave Chappelle in a later special – and not CK’s actions. “The outrageousness of what he did is totally lost in the discussion,” director Caroline Suh told the Guardian.
Meanwhile, CK’s profile continued to rise. In 2025, he appeared on fellow comedian Theo Von’s popular podcast This Past Weekend, and performed a set at the controversial state-sponsored Riyadh comedy festival in Saudi Arabia – a decision he later defended as “a good opportunity”.
CK released his most recent special, Louis CK at the Dolby, in 2023, and his debut novel, Ingraham, last fall. Tickets for his set at the Hollywood Bowl go on sale on 6 April.
