Vittorio Angelone, the Irish comedian, has apologised for a rape joke he made regarding a woman whose sexual-assault case remains under investigation in court in the UK.
Earlier this week, Rebecca Goodwin, an OnlyFans model and influencer from England, shared a video on her TikTok account, in which she is seen crying on the comedian’s remarks.
Taking to Instagram, the 30-year-old said he “made a joke he shouldn’t have made and I’d like to say sorry”.
Moreover, he said he had contacted Goodwin privately to apologise.
The apology follows Angelone’s hurtful remarks on one of the Have a Word podcast’s roast episodes, which invite guests to mock, tease and insult a particular person.
The roast was published on the podcast’s subscriber-only Patreon page. Angelone later on shared a screenshot of himself making the joke to his 498,000 followers on Instagram.
He faced a swift backlash for his joke online, and his comments were condemned by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Rachel Morrogh, the centre’s chief executive, also released a statement, which read, “For survivors, hearing rape treated as a punchline can be deeply hurtful, and it reinforces the attitudes that discourage people from coming forward.”
“Reporting sexual violence and going through the courts takes enormous courage, and survivors deserve to know that the process will be treated with seriousness and respect.”
In a video Goodwin posted to TikTok addressing the joke, she said: “I am currently going through a rape trial at the minute. It is active. It is in court. I am really disappointed ...
“I just can’t believe that it was not only okayed by the Have a Word pod, but it also allowed to be aired in front of millions of people.
“I understand comedy, and I know it’s something that should just be laughed off, but ... the whole rape situation is one of the hardest things I have ever been through in my life.”
Goodwin, who had appeared on a previous roast episode of the podcast, stated she was not contacted ahead of the episode was released and found out about it from her followers.
