Chris D'Elia accused of exposing himself to two women; comedian denies allegations
Chris D'Elia is facing more accusations of sexual misconduct, which he has emphatically denied through his attorney.
In a CNN article published Wednesday, two women came forward to accuse D'Elia of sexual misconduct, alleging the comedian exposed himself to them without their consent. This follows a flood of accusations D'Elia received on social media in June that he'd engaged in inappropriate messaging with teenage girls.
D'Elia's attorney, Andrew Brettler, denied the accusations in a statement to USA TODAY.
“D'Elia denies these allegations and emphatically states that he has never engaged in any sexual conduct with any woman without her consent," Brettler said.
Actress Megan Drust told the outlet that D'Elia exposed himself and started masturbating in front of her without her consent after she offered him a ride home. She was 26 at the time of the alleged incident, CNN reports.
"I had marked him as safe, which equals a non-threatening male," Drust said of her decision to offer D'Elia a ride. "He was friends with some of my friends, I had met him before. That's what you do, at least that's what I did, you mark certain people as safe."
The situation took a disturbing turn once they were in the car, Drust continued, adding that D'Elia looked at her in "this really weird way" and tried to make "flirty small talk."
"I was very confused because it just didn't fit the moment," she said. "Then he took down his zipper and asked me to touch him and I said, 'What are you doing? No.' And because I wouldn't touch him, he started to masturbate. I couldn't believe it."
Drust said she then got out of the car and was in "survival mode." After D'Elia finished masturbating, he also exited the vehicle, she said.
"I got back into my car, he shut the door and kind of just stood towards the hood and looked at me without saying anything and then just walked away," she added.
A few days later, Drust said she confided in two friends about the incident, who confirmed her story to CNN.
USA TODAY has reached out to Drust for further comment.
Netflix comedian, 'You' actor Chris D'Elia denies sexual misconduct allegations
The other new accuser quoted in the CNN article is a hotel manager in Ohio, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions. She alleges that during D'Elia's stay at the hotel where she works, he called up the front desk asking that someone fix his room's air conditioning. When she arrived at his room, the comedian opened the door and was "completely naked," she said. She left immediately, she added, but D'Elia called the front desk again soon after.
"He told me I needed to come back upstairs to help with his air conditioner and I told him he would need to wait for the electrician the following morning and I hung up," she said.
The manager added that she later shared her allegation with two co-workers, who also confirmed her account to CNN.
Laura Vitarelli also recalled her allegation to CNN, which she originally shared in June with the Los Angeles Times. Vitarelli maintained to CNN that D'Elia exposed himself to her and a friend in a hotel room in 2015, when she was 19.
Vitarelli's attorney, Jay Ellwanger, who represents multiple women with similar complaints against D'Elia and his team, confirmed to USA TODAY that they are considering a civil suit against D'Elia.
“Our clients have a singular goal—to make sure this doesn’t happen to other women," Ellwanger said in a statement to USA TODAY. "And we will pursue all legal options to help them reach that goal.”
Accusations that D'Elia, 40, has engaged in inappropriate messaging with underage teenage girls flooded social media in June after Twitter user Simone Rossi accused him of "grooming" her when she was 16. More allegations from unverified Twitter accounts accused the comedian of inviting teenage girls to meet up with him after his shows and asking them to send photos of themselves.
Netflix comedian, 'You' actor Chris D'Elia denies sexual misconduct allegations
In a statement to USA TODAY at the time, D'Elia responded to the accusations, saying that all of his relationships have been legal and consensual.
“I know I have said and done things that might have offended people during my career, but I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point," he said. "I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me."
He continued: "That being said, I really am truly sorry. I was a dumb guy who ABSOLUTELY let myself get caught up in my lifestyle. That’s MY fault. I own it. I’ve been reflecting on this for some time now and I promise I will continue to do better.”
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Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris D'Elia denies new allegations he exposed himself without consent