Women accuse California stand-up comedians of sexual assault

Two high-profile California comedians have been accused of sexual assault by two women.

Jay Rich, whose legal name is Justin Richardson, stands accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a fellow comic in his vehicle in 2018.

Meanwhile, LA-based stand-up Dauood Naimyar faces claims from a former high school classmate that he raped her twice more than 15 years ago while she was intoxicated.

Both men now face widespread cancellations as comedy venues, bookers and festivals nationwide cut ties over the claims.

Both performers have vehemently denied the claims, which first surfaced on social media before the accusers detailed their alleged experiences to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The two women, who do not know one another, said national headlines about a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a former Cornell University student inspired them to break their silence.

Local comic Chelsea Bearce, 45, claimed Richardson attacked her inside his vehicle in March 2018. Bearce said she met Richardson at an Oakland dive bar to network, but suffered rapid blackouts and lost motor function after less than one cocktail, leading her to suspect her drink was spiked. Bearce claimed she came to in the passenger seat of Richardson’s car, paralyzed and unable to stop him from forcing her to perform oral sex.

“I remember at one point saying, ‘No,’ and trying to push, but I had no strength in my arms,” Bearce told the Chronicle. “My arms wouldn’t work.”

Bearce said she suppressed the trauma for years, but running into Richardson while competing on the local circuit this fall brought the memories rushing back.

“It took me a while to really put together what happened,” Bearce said.

Referencing the recent Cornell University case where a student accused multiple fraternity members of assault, Bearce added: “If this woman was strong enough to name these seven, then I’m strong enough to name my one.”

She added that she plans to lodge an official report with the Oakland Police Department.

In an unrelated claim, a Sacramento woman, who asked the Chronicle not to be identified, accused Naimyar, 36, of raping her on two occasions more than 15 years ago. She alleged Naimyar assaulted her in a Dublin hotel room in 2010 when she was a 17-year-old high school junior, and again the following spring inside a car parked near a San Ramon elementary school, claiming he ignored her repeated refusals while she drifted in and out of consciousness.

“He knows he ruined my life for a long time and tried to apologize after a friend of mine confronted him about the events I shared,” she said. “I have now since discovered he is still an active comedian doing shows around the country. I don’t know how many other girls he harmed, if any, but he is a predator and he hunted me for years.”

To date, neither woman has gone to police or filed civil suits.

The Comedy Underground, the body behind the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition won by Richardson just weeks ago, severed all ties with him and scrubbed him from its promotions. Richardson was also pulled from a headlining gig at The Deaf Puppy Club in Manteca. 

Naimyar saw his tour dates wiped out at The Comedy Bar in Chicago and the Laugh Factory in San Diego, while other independent club owners across California announced blanket bans on booking the comic.

In a lengthy statement to The Post, Rich said: “I am aware of the allegations Chelsea Bearce made about me on social media. They are false. I did not force, coerce, or pressure her into anything, and I have never engaged in non-consensual conduct with anyone.

“Chelsea and I have known each other through the Bay Area comedy scene for about ten years. The night she describes was nearly a decade ago. In the years since, we have remained friendly and worked together.

“We booked each other for shows and supported each other’s careers, including during this year’s San Francisco Comedy Competition. Our written communications over that time are consistent with that relationship and not with what she has now described.

“Sexual assault is real, and survivors deserve to be heard and taken seriously. Comedy has not always been a safe place for women, and I support every effort to change that. That is exactly why accuracy matters.

“False accusations harm the person accused, and they also make it harder for real survivors to be believed. These claims have already cost me work and damaged my reputation and livelihood.

“I have retained counsel and am evaluating all legal options to protect my name. I will not comment further at this time.”

Naimyar said: “I unequivocally deny the allegations of rape and sexual assault made against me.
[Accuser] and I knew each other for approximately one to two years, during which we were part of the same social circle.

“My friends and I used to throw hotel parties, and [accuser] attended one. At one point, [accuser] invited me to join her in the hotel room. My recollection of our interaction is fundamentally different from what she has alleged.

“We spoke with each other, and nothing about our interaction led me to believe she was unwilling to be with me. I unequivocally deny that I sexually assaulted [accuser].

“We continued spending time together after that encounter, getting food, attending parties, and socializing with mutual friends. Our interactions remained friendly until our final encounter at my parents’ home.

“Multiple individuals can independently speak to these timelines of our interactions.
Regarding [accuser’s] allegations about the time we spent together in my car, she had invited me to a small gathering of approximately five or six people. Afterward, she asked me to drive her home.

“Although I had initially planned to head straight home myself, I agreed to give her a ride. We stopped for food and spent some time together. I unequivocally deny that I sexually assaulted her.

“Regarding [accuser’s] allegations about what happened at my family’s home, she came over while I was living there. There are witnesses who can testify that she came to my house knowingly. She had come over to socialize at my house multiple times before. We went back to my bedroom and started making out.

“While we were making out, I attempted to make an advance, which she promptly told me she did not like. I stopped immediately.

“I also want to address my 2018 apology. When she reached out, this was the first time I had learned of these allegations. I was shocked by them. My friends and I had teased [accuser] when we were younger.

“Looking back, I recognize how hurtful and immature that behavior was, and I deeply regret my part in it. Furthermore, our final encounter had ended abruptly. That was what I was apologizing for, and that apology was sincere. My apology then did not admit the allegations she now raises, and I deny them now.

“My girlfriend at the time helped me think through my response to [accuser’s] message. We believed it was important to acknowledge someone’s hurt and respond with empathy rather than defensiveness. That is what my apology was intended to convey. It was not an admission to the allegations of rape, which I deny.

“Since then, [accuser] has publicly identified my roommate and encouraged people to contact him. My parents’ residential address was also exposed in a since-removed post, with [accuser] subsequently confirming that the property belonged to my parents.

“Several family members have received targeted messages from people who appear to have found us through these posts.

“I hope that both my account and the impact on uninvolved family members will be represented fairly and accurately. I am more than willing to cooperate fully with any investigation.”

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