Comedian Sarah Silverman defended her longtime friend Louis C.K. , who admitted last year to sexual misconduct and taking advantage of his power, saying that the standup comic and actor did not understand that his influence had put him in a position of power that made his actions not OK.

Im not saying what he did was OK. Im just saying at a certain point, when he became influential, not even famous, but influential in the world of comedy, it changes, she told radio host Howard Stern on Monday. Once he became powerful, even within just his community, he felt like he was the same person. But the dynamic was different, and it was not OK.

Silverman said the standup comic used to masturbate in front of her when they were both aspiring comedians, but the situation was different because it was consensual and he could offer me nothing.

Ive known Louis forever. Im not making excuses for him, so please dont take this that way. We are peers. We are equals. When we were kids, and he asked if he could masturbate in front of me, sometimes Id go, Fuck yeah, I want to see that! she said. Its not analogous to the other women that are talking about what he did to them. He could offer me nothing. We were only just friends. So sometimes, yeah, I wanted to see it. It was amazing. Sometimes, I would say, Fucking no, gross, and we got pizza.