Arianna Huffington has said that newly unearthed photos of Al Franken groping her breasts were just a joke.
On Monday the New York Post published photos taken in 2000 to promote a segment called ‘Strange Bedfellows,’ from Bill Maher’s show on ABC Politically Correct.
The photo shows the former Saturday Night Live star and current Minnesota Senator posing a bed, with Franken cupping Huffington’s breast with one of his hands.
A second image shows them back-to-back, with Franken seemingly grabbing onto Huffington’s behind with one of his hands.
Within just a few hours Huffington responded to the photos, saying ‘the notion that there was anything inappropriate in this photo shoot is truly absurd.’
Arianna Huffington has said that newly unearthed photos of Al Franken groping her breasts were just a joke. They are pictured together in 2005
Just a few hours after the New York Post published photos from a 2000 photoshoot with Huffington and Franken that show Franken cupping her breast, Huffington responded: ‘the notion that there was anything inappropriate in this photo shoot is truly absurd.’ Huffington and Franken are pictured together in 2008 with Bill Maher (left) and Steward Resnick
Maher also quickly responded to the Post article in a tweet, criticizing the outlet for taking comedy too seriously and insulting actual victims
‘Al and I did a comedic sketch for Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect called “Strange Bedfellows,” in which the whole point, as the name makes clear, was that we were doing political commentary from bed,’ she said in a statement to the Post.
‘This shoot was looking back at the sketch, and we were obviously hamming it up for comedic effect.
‘I’ve been great friends with Al and his wife Frannie for over 20 years and there has never been anything remotely inappropriate in our interactions.’
Maher also quickly responded to the Post article in a tweet, criticizing the outlet for taking comedy too seriously and insulting actual victims.
‘This “Al Franken groped Arianna” story in the NY Pot while prompting a sketch on my old show is so ridic (sic) and such an insult to any real victims,’ he tweeted. ‘Low even for you, Post.’
Huffington re-tweeted that message.
Yet the initial article accusing him of groping the publishing executive quotes an unnamed source who claims Arianna was creeped out by the interaction.
‘Arianna was pushing his hands away. He was groping her,’ the source said.
‘There was some fun attached to it, but she wasn’t enjoying it. She definitely told him to stop and pushed away.’
These photos come just days after Franken was thrown into the spotlight by former Playboy model and radio host Leann Tweeden. She claims he forcibly kissed her during a 2006 USO Tour and then groped her in her sleep
On Monday a second woman, Lindsay Menz, came forward to say that Franken grabbed her in 2010 while they took a photo together at the Minnesota State Fair
These photos come just days after Franken was thrown into the spotlight by former Playboy model and radio host Leann Tweeden.
She claims he forcibly kissed her during a 2006 USO Tour and then groped her in her sleep.
Franken apologized profusely to Tweeden, but also said he didn’t remember the kiss, which allegedly happened while they were practicing for a comedy routine, ‘in the same way.’
On Monday a second woman, Lindsay Menz, came forward to say that Franken grabbed her in 2010 while they took a photo together at the Minnesota State Fair.
The 33-year-old said that while they posed he put his hand ‘wrapped tightly around my butt cheek.’
Franken has said that he is launching and will fully cooperate into an ethics investigation, but will not step down from his position.