Several high-profile individuals, including a U.S. congressman, are under the microscope this week with varying allegations of sexual harassment against them.
Aziz Ansari, recent Best Actor Golden Globe winner for his series Master of None, was accused of sexual misconduct by an unnamed photographer he dated in 2017.
The photographer told online journal Babe the details of their encounter last September, where the two initially met at a party following the Emmy Awards.
After the accusation, Ansari, says he took the photographer's words to heart in a statement he released to USA Today in January.
"I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said," Ansari said in part. "I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue."
Los Angeles Times publisher and CEO Ross Levinsohn is taking an unpaid leave of absence as the newspaper's owner Tronc investigates reports contained in two sexual harassment lawsuits in which Levinsohn was a defendant along with past complaints of his alleged inappropriate conduct toward women.
Levinsohn has been the newspaper's publisher since August. Prior to that point, the digital media executive held positions with Yahoo! and News Corp.
PHOTOS | Persons accused of sexual misconduct
GALLERY | Persons accused of sexual misconduct
Grammy-award winning singer Seal has denied accusations by actress Tracey Birdsall, and published last week by TMZ.
The singer's representative issued a statement to USA Today:
“Seal vehemently denies the recent accusations made against him by a former neighbor for alleged misconduct of more than a year ago. He intends to vigorously defend himself against these false allegations.”
According to the TMZ report, Birdsall says Seal made an unwanted advance toward her when she visited his home in 2016.
Australian actor Craig McLachlan says his career has been "annihilated" by accusations of sexual misconduct against him. He went on to tell News Corp. in Australia he plans to fight the claims.
According to The Guardian, three women who appeared with McLachlan in a 2014 stage production of The Rocky Horror Show with him accused the actor of inappropriate conduct. Additionally, a woman and a man who worked as part of the musical's crew have gone to local police, who are investigating the allegations.
Producers of McLachlan's popular Australian television series The Doctor Blake Mysteries have temporarily suspended production on the upcoming season while the investigations are underway.
According to reports, members of the show's cast and crew have made additional sexual misconduct allegations against the actor.
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is ordering an Ethics Committee investigation after a New York Times report that US Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA) used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment complaint by a former aide who claims she rejected his romantic overtures.
The Times report, published online Saturday, cites unnamed people who said Meehan used thousands of dollars from his congressional office fund to settle the complaint the former aide filed last summer to the congressional Office of Compliance.
Meehan denies he harassed or mistreated the former aide, who has not been named.
