Comedian and actor Chris D’Elia is facing allegations from several women who say he contacted them online when they were underage. D’Elia has denied knowingly pursuing anyone underage, and his team has now released email exchanges they say support his side.
“It is important that the public has all the information to make an informed decision on the coordinated attacks on Chris D’Elia,” one of his reps told Page Six. The rep said the messages help show his relationships were legal and consensual.
According to Page Six, his reps shared the full exchange with a woman named Clara, who had posted part of a 2012 email conversation in which she said she was 17. D’Elia’s team says that midway through the thread he asked her age. They say she first joked with a different number and later offered an age of 24. The outlet reports that he asked for photos before asking about her age.
His team also released emails with a woman named Colleen, who had shared her own screenshots. In the portion she posted, she told D’Elia she was 16. His reps say he replied that he had thought she attended his show, which requires guests to be at least 18, and ended the conversation. That reply was not part of what she posted.
A third accuser, Simone, told the LA Times that in 2015, when she was 16, D’Elia messaged her online. D’Elia’s reps released a separate email from October 2019 in which she reached out to him as an adult. His reps say he did not respond. Simone has posted on Twitter that she was 16 when the contact began and that she believes he used a power imbalance against her.
The LA Times has described an “avalanche” of screenshots from other women, and D’Elia’s camp did not provide material addressing those claims.
D’Elia said in a statement that he has “never knowingly pursued any underage women,” that his relationships were legal and consensual, and that he has never met or exchanged inappropriate photos with the people who tweeted about him. He also said he is sorry and admitted he let himself get caught up in his lifestyle.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
D’Elia has reportedly since been dropped by his talent and booking agencies.
