When the MeToo movement gathered steam in India last year, singer Karthik was among the celebrities from the Tamil industry who felt the heat. Journalist Sandhya Menon had shared screenshots of chat with a woman who accused him of sexual harassment.
The woman alleged that at a public event, few years ago, Karthik kept talking about her body. “He wanted to touch me and said he masturbated thinking about me.... Everytime I have met him I cringed to be near him (sic),” she wrote. She added that she has heard other singers complain about him, but he remains an influential singer. Later, singer Chinmayi came out in her support and tweeted that she believed the allegations against Karthik. In a tweet, she wrote: “He has always misused his popularity and sickeningly pursued multiple women.”
Karthik, who hadn't responded to any of the allegations, released an official statement on Tuesday. In the long statement shared on Twitter, Karthik said that he has never hurt anyone or harassed anybody ignoring their consent. He added that he has never intentionally acted in a way that would make anyone feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Karthik said that he fully supports the MeToo movement, and that he is ready to apologise or face any legal action if people reach out to him directly.
In the statement, Karthik added that his father has been facing a 'life-threatening medical condition' and urged well-wishers to pray for his speedy recovery. “Owing to my father's health condition, I am not in a position to commit to Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa,” he said.