Ashleigh Banfield Called Aziz Ansari's Accuser's Allegations "Reckless" And "Appalling"

The anchor's searing comments on air have drawn praise and, of course, more heated backlash.

During a segment discussing the #MeToo and Time's Up movement on HLN, host Ashleigh Banfield delivered a scathing monologue addressed to the woman who accused Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct. "What you have done is appalling," Banfield said.

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Over the weekend, a 23-year-old Brooklyn-based photographer named "Grace" detailed an encounter last year with comedian Aziz Ansari to Babe.net that she called "the worst night of my life."

Ansari responded to the detailed allegations of sexual misconduct, saying he was "surprised and concerned" that the woman felt their encounter was not consensual.

The anonymous accuser and the publication that ran the accusations have since both drawn criticism from other outlets like the Atlantic and the New York Times. On Monday, Banfield wrote and read her own "open letter" to Ansari's accuser on air on HLN.

"Dear Grace — not your real name, I'm sorry you had a bad date," Banfield began. "I've had a few myself. They stink."

"So I have to ask you: What exactly was your beef?" Banfield said. She then went on to voice her opinion that what Ansari's accuser did by going to the press was "appalling," and compromising to the #MeToo and Time's Up movements.

Banfield's impassioned thoughts on the matter have drawn a range of reactions on social media. Many agree, and are thanking her for speaking on the subject publicly.

@TVAshleigh THANK U!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

@TVAshleigh I applaud you for your statement last night in regards to Aziz. Some things are being blown way out of proportion.

Ashleigh Banfield got it right. After reading the details of what happened, that was not rape or sexual assault, it… https://t.co/ZZGtvHjdDp

Thank you Ashleigh Banfield for being a sound minded human being.

"I'm with @TVAshleigh on this one," Arsenio Hall tweeted Monday evening while tagging Ansari.

I’m with @TVAshleigh on this one. re: @azizansari https://t.co/u4ksHqJ0uX

Others did not like her characterization of the encounter as a "bad date" and called it dismissive.

@MarlowNYC @TVAshleigh Ashleigh Banfield calling it a bad date completely misses the point and how it relates direc… https://t.co/1le2W59huT

@TVAshleigh you’ve clearly never been in a situation such as Grace and you sure as hell don’t have the right to dismiss how she felt.

Some are expressively angered by her opinions.

Fuck you, Ashleigh Banfield.

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