INDIO, CALIFORNIA: Journalist Frank Elaridi remembers a moment when Courtney Love groped him while posing for a photo. Elaridi shared this particular excerpt in an effort to start a conversation about the "double standards" that exist between men and women.
Elaridi makes it clear in an episode of his podcast 'Quite Frankly' that aired on Thursday, May 18, that his goal is not to "cancel" Love, 58, but rather to expose a double standard that has developed in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The host claims that the incident took place when he was 24 years old and assigned to interview Love at Coachella while working for Nightline roughly six to ten years ago. "I'm at her afterparty interviewing her in a side room and she's like, come hang out with us! So I do," he recalls. "We take a photo together, and the second the photo's done, she grabs my crotch like, really hard."
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'Is it because she's a woman and I'm a man?'
Elaridi then shares a picture of the incident and says that the former Hole frontwoman's action "caught me off guard." When Elaridi's guest Nahko, a musician accused of sexual abuse in 2021, asks him if he wants to "cancel" Love, he responds that he doesn't, but finds the double standard fascinating.
Elaridi said, "That would never cross my mind to be like, let me go after her now, 10 years later. She's a rockstar in my head, not to justify it or say it's OK, but in my head, that would never cross my mind to do that. [But] maybe we should talk about it, is it because she's a woman and I'm a man?"
Why is Frank Elaridi talking about the Courtney Love groping incident now?
Elaridi claimed that his purpose in sharing the groping incident was not to "get her canceled or in trouble, but rather to start a conversation about why these double standards exist between men and women," according to People.
He said, "Courtney was nothing but kind when I interviewed her, and I genuinely think that she was just playing the persona of a rockstar. She probably thought she was going to give this kid a photo to show his friends and talk about years from now," according to People.
Elaridi claims he does not think the singer intended to be "predatory," but he does point out that males in the spotlight have been "canceled for less." He said, "My hope is that we get to a place where we have open and honest conversations and give people a chance to grow and evolve, rather than just accuse and cast them out permanently."
'I thought it was what 'cool' people do'
Elaridi continues by stating that he is "fully aware" of the fact that he never felt threatened or in danger while engaging in their interaction, but he is also aware that things might have gone differently if he had been a woman and Love had been a man, according to People.
"With that in mind, I do see why there might be a double standard where it's just not the same, because I didn't ever feel in danger, or like she could overpower me. I was young, naive and went along with it because people were watching and I thought it was what 'cool' people do."
Who is Frank Elaridi?
Elaridi is a journalist and producer best known for his work with ABC News and the Modern Nirvana YouTube channel. Together with Bryant Wood and Kat Graham, he co-founded the channel, which focuses on spirituality, nature, and health.
The University of La Verne is where Elaridi earned his journalism degree. His illustrious piece for ABC News featured a story of Angelina Jolie seeking significant child support from Brad Pitt. He has received two Edward Murrow Awards and four Emmy Awards.
