Louis C.K. Sent an Email

What do we do with our fallen heroes?

Amy Punt
10 min readFeb 4, 2024
Photo by author

Trigger warning: sexual abuse, CSA, and sexual assault

I opened my email and found an update from disgraced comedian Louis C.K. this morning. I’d forgotten I was on that list. It was early, and I had nothing else to do yet, so I opened it. It made me laugh. He’s a genuinely funny man. When he’s self-effacing, he’s brilliant. Here’s how his email starts:

Don’t read this email unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. In fact, I would argue that doing nothing would bring you more joy or at least annoy you less than reading this email. Seriously throw this in the trash and never read it.

OK if you’re still here, it’s entirely your fault. Because all I am going to do is remind you, Jesus hold on my stove won’t fucking light hold on.

OK sorry. So annoying. I have this really cool looking kind of vintage style stove that makes me feel, when I look at it, like a far better person than I really am. But then it won’t light, so what’s the point? I know I’m being a spoiled brat, and I know a lot of people have bigger problems than I do, but none of them live under my face. I do live there. In a world of blood and pus.

C.K. has always communicated with his fans via email. Even at the height of his fame, he never used…

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Amy Punt

Writing about Personal Growth, Trauma, Recovery and the cultural moments that reflect our hidden traumas.