Amy Schumer was "flat-out raped" when she was younger.
The ‘Trainwreck’ star previously admitted in her autobiography that her first sexual experience was not consensual, and she thinks she’s not alone in being subjected to unwanted advance and attention.
She said: "I’ve been flat-out raped.
"But there are so many other kinds of sexual misconduct. We’ve all — every woman I know, every woman in this room — we’ve all had these experiences. And in this current climate, it brings these things up and you go ‘God, none of that was OK.’ "
The 34-year-old star stressed that sexual misconduct doesn’t have to be "criminal" for it to be unacceptable.
Speaking to Katie Couric for her ‘Wonder Women’ podcast series, she said: "If you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the Aziz [Ansari] one, I don’t think there’s any sort of criminal charge, but I think that it’s good for everybody to learn that that behaviour’s not acceptable.
"It’s not a crime, but it’s not cool. And it can still really mess with a woman."
But Amy knows it can be a "hard" conversation to assert what behaviour is uncomfortable.
However, she added: "We just can’t let things continue the way they’ve continued, because there are so many different levels of it."
The ‘Snatched’ star believes initiatives like the Time’s Up movement can teach men to "evolve" and modify their behaviour.
She said: A lot of the men in my life are open to self reflection and evolving and I am."
Amy also spoke about the allegations against her friend Aziz Ansari, who a former date named Grace recently claimed several sexual acts occurred between them even though she was "physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested."
The ‘Master of None’ star insisted their encounter was consensual, but Amy believes the story should show women what they don’t have to put up with.
She said: "I don’t think anyone wants to see Aziz’s career ruined or his life ruined or anything like that, but that’s where people’s minds go.
"They go ‘Does he deserve this?’ And it’s really not about that. I think it’s about expressing and showing women that that behaviour is not okay and not only can you leave, but you need to leave. Because then the women who come after you, you’re leaving a mark for them too."
She later added: "He’s been my friend and I really feel for the woman. I identify with all the women in these situations. Even if it’s my friend, I don’t go, ‘Oh, but he’s a good guy.’ I think, ‘What would it feel like to have been her?’ "
Amy Schumer was ‘flat-out raped’
