The sexual assault allegations that were levied against actor/comedian Aziz Ansari have certainly been polarizing many in Hollywood and in the entertainment industry as a whole, especially those who hold the #MeToo movement close to their hearts. While some applauded the woman, a photographer who hasn't used her real name in the story that first called out Ansari's actions, others thought that the potential punishment, a budding TV star losing his career, didn't fit the crime. Among those in the latter group is Ashleigh Banfield, HLN news anchor and, as of now, a woman who has set some clear boundaries on this story.
Banfield, during the process of reading an open letter to Ansari's accuser, called her actions "appalling" for "chipping away" at a movement that has meant so much to so many women. “You had a bad date," Banfield said. "Your date got overly amorous. After protesting his moves, you did not get up and leave right away. You continued to engage in the sexual encounter."
The host continued to paint the situation as something that Ansari's accuser could've left at any moment, but chose to stay involved in. “By your own clear description, this was not a rape, nor was it a sexual assault. By your description, your sexual encounter was unpleasant," Banfield added. Check out the entire video below.
Banfield ended the short segment with a flourish, saying: "I hope the next time you go on a bad date, you stand up sooner, you smooth out your dress and you bloody well leave. Because the only sentence that a guy like that deserves is a bad case of blue balls, not a Hollywood blackball.”
