Al Franken Gets Twitter Backlash, Says Sorry To Leeann Tweeden For Groping Photo: ‘I Shouldn’t Have Done It’
Al Franken has gotten quite a bit of backlash on social media after Leeann Tweeden published a photo that appears to show Franken reaching for Leeann’s breast as she slept, as reported by the Inquisitr. Tweeden wrote that she was no longer afraid of coming forward to tell the world what she says happened when Al traveled along with her and others on a USO tour to entertain troops in 2006.
Franken has said he is sorry for the viral photo, according to the Guardian, after Leeann’s story about Franken allegedly groping her and sticking his tongue in her mouth gained popularity. Leeann hails from Los Angeles, but it was her essay about her interactions with Franken in the Middle East that has drawn attention and has some folks on Twitter calling for Franken to be punished.
Tweeden alleges that Franken wrote a script and devised a role for Al to kiss her, insisting that they practice the kiss backstage. When Leeann relented, she wrote that Al forced his tongue in her mouth and when she pushed him away and warned him against performing such actions in the future, Franken began to insult her. Tweeden received an apology that read as follows, even though Franken claimed that he remembers the rehearsal differently.
“I certainly don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.”
My new book is about a comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why comedians tend not to do that. https://t.co/mKrhKjUBYN
— Al Franken (@alfranken) June 1, 2017
The accusations against Franken are the latest in a string of sexual assault allegations that have plagued people in the public eye, like Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, Louis C.K., Harvey Weinstein, and others.
President Donald Trump’s sexual assault allegations also experienced a resurgence on Thursday, November 16, as a video featuring 16 women speaking about their alleged experiences with Trump went viral on Facebook and YouTube. Whereas some prominent cases have featured apologies from those who admit partially or fully to what they’ve been accused of doing — such as Louis C.K.’s apology — others who have been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct have turned against their accusers and have attempted to demonize them.
Meanwhile, Franken’s above Twitter account, as well as his Sen. Al Franken Twitter account, are both receiving loads of comments about the controversy.
[Featured Image by Vince Bucci/Getty Images]
