Comedian Louis C.K. has been accused of sexual misconduct by five women. Word that the story was about to be published had been circulating all morning, leading to the cancellation of a premiere for Louis C.K.’s new film. From the NY Times:

In 2002, a Chicago comedy duo, Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, landed their big break: a chance to perform at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo. When Louis C.K. invited them to hang out in his hotel room for a nightcap after their late-night show, they did not think twice. The bars were closed and they wanted to celebrate. He was a comedian they admired. The women would be together. His intentions seemed collegial.

As soon as they sat down in his room, still wrapped in their winter jackets and hats, Louis C.K. asked if he could take out his penis, the women said.

They thought it was a joke and laughed it off. “And then he really did it,” Ms. Goodman said in an interview with The New York Times. “He proceeded to take all of his clothes off, and get completely naked, and started masturbating.”

The rest of the stories are similar. In the late 90s, Louis reportedly asked a twenty-something staffer at The Chris Rock Show, where he worked as a writer, to watch him masturbate in his office. She agreed but tells the Times, “It was something that I knew was wrong.” The story also points out that Louis has often made fun of male behavior in his act:

He rose to fame in part by appearing to be candid about his flaws and sexual hang-ups, discussing and miming masturbation extensively in his act — an exaggerated riff that some of the women feel may have served as a cover for real misconduct. He has all but invited comparison between his private life and his onscreen work, too: In “I Love You, Daddy,” which is scheduled to be released next week, a character pretends to masturbate at length in front of other people, and other characters appear to dismiss rumors of sexual predation…

Jokes about masturbation have been a regular part of Louis C.K.’s stage shows. In one bit, he complains about not being able to find a private place in his house to do it. “I’m on the streets now,” he says, “I’ve got nowhere to go.” In another bit he laments being a prisoner of his perversions. “Just the constant perverted sexual thoughts,” he says, then mimes masturbating. “It makes me into a moron.”

Louis C.K. once appeared in a skit on Greg Gutfeld’s show where he was brought on the panel as a masturbation expert. “I like it,” he said. He added, “It’s easy and it’s fun and nobody gets hurt.”

As for Louis C.K.’s new film,  I Love You, Daddy, that may now be on hold. Today, the premiere in New York was canceled amid speculation the NY Times story was about to drop. From the Hollywood Reporter:

The New York premiere of Louis C.K.’s upcoming film, I Love You, Daddy, has been canceled. The event, which was planned to be held at the Paris Theatre, will no longer take place with reps for the premiere, citing, “unexpected circumstances.”

A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that a New York Times story on the comedian is about to break, and the premiere was canceled in case it is damaging. His planned Friday appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was also canceled, with William H. Macy taking his place on the CBS show.

In September, the NY Times wrote a piece titled “Asking Questions Louis C.K. Doesn’t Want to Answer” about the film:

Unsubstantiated internet rumors of sexual misconduct with female comics gained steam last month when the comic Tig Notaro told The Daily Beast that he should “handle” the rumors. “I Love You, Daddy” tackles similar rumormongering; however, like the auteur in the film, Louis C.K. at first dodged when asked about them.

“I’m not going to answer to that stuff, because they’re rumors,” Louis C.K. said during the Toronto interview, as he told Vulture last year. But he added on Sunday, “If you actually participate in a rumor, you make it bigger and you make it real.”

So it’s not real? “No.” he responded. “They’re rumors, that’s all that is.”

Stand-up comic Megan Koester has been tweeting about the looming NY Times story this morning:

STATUS UPDATE: Waiting for history to vindicate me, as it always does

— Megan Beth Koester (@bornferal) November 9, 2017

IT BEGINShttps://t.co/lEpR47MH2J

— Megan Beth Koester (@bornferal) November 9, 2017

I assume everyone who's called me a liar and a cunt for the past three years will be sending me an Edible Arrangement the second the Louis C.K. NYT story breaks.

— Megan Beth Koester (@bornferal) November 9, 2017

Here’s the trailer for I Love You, Daddy which, appropriately enough, ends with the line “Everybody’s a pervert.”