Netflix Pulls Plug on Upcoming Prank Show Starring Chris D’Elia
Written by SOURCE on July 24, 2020
Netflix has scraped an upcoming unscripted prank show featuring Chris D’Elia over the allegations made last month that he solicited underage women through social media, the Los Angeles Times reports.
According to Deadline, D’Elia had just finalized a deal with Netflix to make the show with his best friend and fellow comedian Bryan Callen when the allegations surfaced. D’Elia has since denied any wrongdoing in a statement, claiming that all of his relationships “have been both 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,” D’Elia said in response to the allegations. “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.”
Despite Netflix’s decision to part ways with D’Elia in this case, the streaming service still has three of his stand-up specials available in their library. Netflix killed of D’Elia’s character in the series You. D’Elia played Henderson on the show, a character who preyed on underage girls.
When You star Penn Badgley addressed D’Elia’s now controversial appearance in the show, he revealed that the series’ producers immediately checked in on his 17-year-old co-star Jenna Ortega. “You know, the first thing our producers did was reach out to Jenna, who played Ellie, the girl opposite Chris in those scenes, just to make sure she felt safe,” Badgley said, per Deadline.
D’Elia will also star in the Zack Snyder-directed Netflix film Army of the Dead, which was completed before his accusers came forward. It’s expected to be released next year.
