David Choe's Beef costars and the show's creator have weighed in on his newly resurfaced, distasteful comments.
Amid the success of the new Netflix dramedy series, in which Choe plays ex-convict Isaac Cho, the actor, 47, came under scrutiny for a March 2014 episode of his DVDASA podcast in which he joked about being a "successful rapist" during a massage.
Executive producers and stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, and Beef creator Lee Sung Jin, issued a joint statement to Vanity Fair condemning the comments.
"The story David Choe fabricated nine years ago is undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing. We do not condone this story in any way, and we understand why this has been so upsetting and triggering," they said. "We're aware David has apologized in the past for making up this horrific story, and we've seen him put in the work to get the mental health support he needed over the last decade to better himself and learn from his mistakes."
Choe also addressed the podcast episode after it aired in 2014.
"I never thought I'd wake up one late afternoon and hear myself called a rapist. It sucks," Choe wrote on his website at the time. "Especially because I am not one. I am not a rapist. I hate rapists, I think rapists should be raped and murdered."
Choe called himself as "an artist and a storyteller" and referred to his podcast as a "complete extension of my art."
"If I am guilty of anything, it's bad storytelling in the style of douche," the comedian continued. "Just like many of my paintings are often misinterpreted, the same goes with my show. The main objective of all of my podcasts is to challenge and provoke my friends and the co-stars on the show. We f--- with each other, entertain ourselves and laugh at each other. It's a dark, tasteless, completely irreverent show where we f--- with everyone listening, but mostly ourselves."
The Los Angeles native described the now-defunct DVDASA, which stands for "Double Vag, Double Anal, Sensitive Artist," as "not a news show."
"It's not a representation of my reality," Choe wrote. "It's not the place to come for reliable information about me or my life. It's my version of reality, it's art that sometimes offends people. I'm sorry if anyone believed that the stories were fact. They were not!"
He ended the statement by writing, "In a world full of horrible people, thank god for us."
The story in question involves Choe telling DVDASA co-host, porn actress Asa Akira, that he masturbated while getting a massage from a masseuse named Rose without her knowledge or consent. Choe claimed he placed Rose's hand on his erect penis and asked if she would spit on it and kiss it, which she declined to do.
Choe said he ejaculated in her mouth and acknowledged what he deemed "rapey behavior" that he exhibited. "But I am not a rapist," Choe said at the time.
The podcast story caused artists to protest a mural Choe painted in New York City in 2017.
Beef is streaming now on Netflix.
