‘VULNERABLE AGE’

Chris D’Elia Groomed and Sexually Exploited a 17-Year-Old: Suit

“Jane Doe” says the comedian of grooming and exchanging sexually explicit material with her before having sex with her when she was 17.

Comedian Chris D’Elia groomed a 17-year-old girl, solicited sexually explicit pictures from her, and had sex with her, according to a new federal lawsuit filed against him in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging solicitation of child pornography and exploitation. After the unidentified woman reached out to D’Elia in September 2014 at age 17, D’Elia allegedly communicated with her via Snapchat and exchanged sexually explicit images and videos with her before having sex with her. She said in a statement, “When I was in my final year of high school and still a child, I was groomed by a celebrity twice my age. Chris D’Elia abused his status and fame to lure me in, take advantage, and manipulate me.” D’Elia’s lawyer denied the allegations. The comedian has faced a slew of sexual misconduct allegations since June 2020, when multiple women began detailing accusations against him, including several who said they were underage at the time he contacted them. His talent agencies have since dropped him, his role in the upcoming Army of the Dead was recast, and Netflix canceled plans for a prank show he would host. In response to previous allegations, he said in a YouTube video, “I do have a problem. It’s not like months down the line everything’s better. I need to do work on that.”