Mindy Kaling addresses backlash from supporting comedian Aziz Ansari: He's a 'good person'

Mindy Kaling is opening up about the reaction she received from publicly supporting comedian Aziz Ansari after a #MeToo allegation was made against him in early 2018.

Ansari returned to stand-up in February after lying low for a year after an unnamed photographer accused the "Master of None" star of sexual misconduct during a date.

Kaling shared a photo on Instagram of a ticket stub from one of Ansari's shows, writing, "Funniest (expletive) ever."

Although "The Office" alum received a flurry of comments from people who applauded her post, she also received a fair share of backlash from fans who called her support of Ansari "disheartening" and "disappointing" to sexual assault survivors.

'I took her words to heart': Aziz Ansari accused of sexual misconduct

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"So many young women had such a personal reaction and were writing about, 'If you support this then you’re erasing our story,' and I truly have so much empathy," Kaling said during Wednesday's episode of "The Last Laugh" podcast.

She added: "So it’s a tricky thing. I don’t think that by me supporting my friend who I think is a really wonderful person and a good person that that negates the power of these young women’s stories."

Kaling explained that she felt inclined to post about Ansari's show earlier this year because he addressed the allegations in a "really vulnerable way."

"I thought it was just really bold and honest and admirable," she said. "He talked about it in a way where he learned so much from it in a way that other people don't."

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During a gig at New York City's Village Underground in February, Ansari said, "There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way. But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person."

Kaling continued: "That’s just my feeling about it, and I don’t put that on anyone else or think anyone else needs to do anything. That’s just one woman’s personal story of how much I enjoyed his show and I wanted to encourage other people to see it."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mindy Kaling addresses backlash from supporting comedian Aziz Ansari: He's a 'good person'