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A group of 36 women who worked with Al Franken on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” have signed a statement in support of the Minnesota senator, according to PBS.
The women were mostly former staff members, including past performers Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman. The group said they “feel compelled to stand up” for Franken after working with him on the show. None of the 36 signers are current employees.
“What Al did was stupid and foolish, and we think it was appropriate for him to apologize to Ms. Tweeden, and to the public,” the statement reads. “In our experience, we know Al as a devoted and dedicated family man, a wonderful comedic performer, and an honorable public servant. That is why we are moved to quickly and directly affirm that after years of working with him, we would like to acknowledge that not one of us ever experienced any inappropriate behavior; and mention our sincere appreciation that he treated each of us with the utmost respect and regard.”
None of the women on the statement claimed that they experienced any inappropriate behavior from Franken.
He worked as a writer and performer on the NBC program from 1975 to 1980 and again from 1985 to 1995.
A photo of the letter, titled “SNL Women Offer Solidarity in Support of Al Franken,” was signed by previous production assistants, writers, producers, and some original SNL cast members appeared on social media on Tuesday.
The letter also stated that Franken “treated us with the utmost respect,” “valued our work and our opinions and was a champion for women both in the legislation he supported and in promoting women to leadership roles in our offices."
This statement followed allegations from Leeann Tweeden, a radio news anchor with KABC in Los Angeles, who accused the lawmaker of forcibly kissing and groping her over a decade ago.
On Monday, another woman came forward with an allegation against Franken. Lindsay Menz, 33, told CNN in an interview that Franken “grabbed her buttocks when they posed for a photo together in 2010 at the Minnesota State Fair.”
In a statement, Franken responded, "I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture. I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.”
You can see the statement and the full list of the women that signed the letter, below.