Independent filmmaker and media personality Andrew Callaghan, best known for his comedic Man on the Street Channel 5 interviews on YouTube and a new HBO documentary This Place Rules, has issued a video apology to the Continue to address allegations of sexual misconduct. first brought against him in early January.
The nearly five-minute video, posted to a YouTube channel credited to Callaghan on Sunday afternoon, shows the 25-year-old speaking to the camera, responding to the allegations against him and sharing that he plans to seek professional treatment to addressing his past behavior.
“I wasn’t aware I had this pattern that was affecting multiple people. I would like to apologize for my silence. When this stuff first came out, I was in a state of denial and shock,” Callaghan said. “I was denounced by my closest associates and my name was printed next to the words ‘sexual misconduct’ in 40 different news outlets. I just kind of got into a mental crisis. I’m fine now, but I don’t really think it’s about me. This is about the people I have affected. So I just want to express my full sympathy, support and respect for everyone I have harmed. I really want to do better and be fully responsible for everything I’ve done.”
In early January, a woman named Caroline Elise claimed Callaghan stayed at her home and was “carrying [her] down” with requests for sex. “It’s even harder to have to relive the trauma I endured every day by seeing this man as a social justice fighter than someone who cares about human rights to get a platform,” he said Elise in a TikTok. “You shouldn’t support him.”
Another woman named Dana came forward a few days later, claiming Callaghan pushed her to have sex: “I told him to stop it. I’ve told him multiple times to get off me,” she said in a video posted to TikTok.
“I’ve always taken ‘no’ for an answer to consent. I have never exceeded this limit. But I think I want to have a more nuanced and meaningful conversation about power dynamics, pressure and coercion,” Callaghan says in the new video. “For a long time I behaved in a way that I actually thought was normal. I thought walking home from the bar alone made you a loser. I thought persistence was a form of flattery… I want to take full responsibility for not having a fluent understanding of consent.”
Callaghan also states that several stories about him online are “untrue” and are “lacking important contextual information.” He also shares that he plans to begin therapy sessions and the 12-Step Alcoholics Anonymous program and take a “serious step back from public life.”
“I can’t blame the alcohol, but I genuinely believe that alcohol was a factor that contributed to my poor decision-making,” says Callaghan.
Callaghan’s video ends with an apology to his staff and friends: “You guys don’t deserve this and I love you guys. That said, if you never want to watch Channel 5 again, I get it.”
Callaghan had previously responded to the allegations against him through a legal representative who said there had been “repeated demands for money”. “Andrew vows to do better in this regard and reminds his audience that even one concerned partner is too much, but there are always multiple sides to a story,” a statement released Thursday said.
Check out Callaghan’s apology below.