Irish comic shamed into making an apology

An Irish comedian has apologised after admitting sexually manipulative behaviour towards another comic.

Davey Reilly said he was ‘embarrassed and remorseful’ for his actions, which he admits amounted to ‘manipulation, hypocrisy, and cowardice, reckless disregard for the health of others’.

It came after an up-and-coming female comedian accused an unnamed comic of emotional abuse, prompting Reilley to confess it was him she was talking about.

The woman wrote on Twitter that he ‘broke both my sexual + personal boundaries, lied about using protection with other partners + repeatedly sent me unsolicited photos/videos of women performing sexual acts on him.’

She asked journalists to respect her privacy as she had not told close relatives, and did not want to be defined by this story.

Fellow comedians backed her and called for changes in the Irish comedy scene. As the resident MC and booker of Dublin’s long-running Comedy Cellar, Reilly is a gatekeeper to the industry.

Alison Spittle posted: ‘Irish comedy needs a purge, lads. I stand behind anyone that's telling their story. I'm so sorry you've been let down. It's a disgrace.’ And Eleanor Tiernan said: ’It’s way too easy for unsuitable people to work their way into positions of power over others in the entertainment industry. They will not be missed!’

Reilly had previously accused fellow comic Al Porter of sexually harassing him in Dublin and at the Edinburgh Fringe - claims Porter has always denied.

Admitting that he was the man at the centre of the new misconduct claims, Reilly wrote on Twitter: ‘Every day I regret my actions, embarrassed and remorseful for the pain caused. 

‘For the past number of months, I have been receiving addiction therapy and attending online meetings to address my behaviours. Far too late, I know.

‘Convinced myself that I’m not a malicious dude so how I was acting couldn’t be malicious. To justify it to myself.

‘Manipulation, hypocrisy and cowardice, reckless disregard for the health of others. Behaviours I saw in peers that I was vocally critical of, but ignoring in myself.

After his tweet, a number of other women accused Reilly of similar behaviour.

Last week, American comedian Chris D’Elia has denied pursuing underage girls and soliciting naked photographs after several women accused him of targetting them when they were teenagers.

After several women shared social media exchanges in which he allegedly sought inappropriate pictures, he said: ‘I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point. All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me.

‘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.’

Published: 21 Jun 2020