“I’ve said the following words a million times and yet I have never been more thankful than I am in this moment to say: I am Chris Hardwick, and welcome to ‘Talking Dead,’” said host Chris Hardwick during his return to TV last night. And with his return, a debate continues to rage on, as #MeToo continues to evolve and crew from his series quit in protest.
One of the most highly debated aspects of the recent #MeToo movement is the amount of time that the accused must spend outside of the limelight before they’re welcomed back. In the cases of people like Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, with court cases either finished or pending, it seems like their careers are effectively over. In other cases, like Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey, many question whether they deserve to come back or if they should be banished forever, as well. But then you have the situation with Chris Hardwick, and it puts a whole new wrinkle in the discussion.
Hardwick was at the center of a #MeToo controversy when an ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, came forward with a long essay about an anonymous partner that she said sexually and verbally abused her throughout their relationship. While she never named Hardwick, it took all of 5 seconds for the Internet to deduce who she was speaking about. From there, the “Talking Dead” host was removed from his popular AMC shows and other gigs until an investigation was final. Well, after a short time, AMC found nothing in its investigation and Hardwick returned to TV last night.
“Normally I recap the show we’re about to talk about here, but instead I just wanted to take a minute to say that I am so appreciative to be standing here right now and I want to thank you, the ‘Walking Dead’ community, for all of your support these last couple of months,” said the host at the beginning of his ‘Walking Dead’ talk show (via Deadline).
He continued, “This show isn’t just a job to me, it is a vital part of my life and has been like a sanctuary these last seven years. It’s been with me through good times and bad and I’m so grateful to the fans, producers and the amazing casts of both of these shows for allowing me to come here and be a part of this community every week.”
For many Hardwick’s return was welcomed, with people using him as an example of someone who was able to rebound after #MeToo accusations. However, for members of his staff on “Talking Dead,” Hardwick’s return meant that AMC failed to do its job, and the staff took more drastic measures.
One of “Talking Dead’s” co-executive producers and several other members of the staff left the series to protest Hardwick’s return. According to sources, who spoke to Deadline, they left because they “..felt they couldn’t stay after Chloe was not part of the investigation.”
Dykstra was notably absent from the review, for whatever reason, and many believe that was a misstep by AMC. She was vocal on Twitter saying that she didn’t need to be involved because just sharing her story was enough. However, late last week, when news of Hardwick’s return was released, she posted, “Just a reminder: I 100% stand by every single word of my essay. I made sure it was unembellished, factual, and that I had evidence to back it up in order to protect myself in case of ACTUAL litigation (not a network investigation, where I’m not protected). That is all.”
It’s clear that even with Hardwick’s return, this discussion is still far from over. But hey, ‘Walking Dead’ fans have their aftershow host back.
Hey dudes. Just a reminder: I 100% stand by every single word of my essay. I made sure it was unembellished, factual, and that I had evidence to back it up in order to protect myself in case of ACTUAL litigation (not a network investigation, where I’m not protected). That is all.
— Chloe Dykstra (@skydart) August 10, 2018
