A Comedian Called Out an Alleged Rapist—And Was Sued for $38 Million

“It was probably one of the scariest things that ever happened to me,” New York-based comedian Jasmine Pierce said in a video posted to her Facebook page on October 15. Wearing a red baseball hat that read “Game On,” Pierce recounted her experience being served with an eye-popping $38 million defamation lawsuit by the comedian Aaron Glaser after she’d referred to him as a “rapist” on social media.

“In my opinion, this was an attempt to silence me, and it was successful,” she said in the video. Pierce didn’t claim to have been assaulted by Glaser (they don’t know each other personally), but says she chose to speak out on behalf of others.

“I wrote my post because I care about the safety of the women and people in my community,” she told Jezebel in an email.

Last summer, Glaser was banned from performing his monthly stand-up show at the Upright Citizens Brigade amid anonymous allegations of rape, which he denies. A few months later, according to the complaint, Glaser sued Pierce; among the claims were “false and intentional defamation,” “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and the catchall “prima facie tort.”