Jeannie Mai would have handled things differently if she were in Julie Chen’s position. The Real cohost opened up to Us Weekly exclusively about Chen’s decision to leave The Talk after her husband, Les Moonves, was ousted as the CEO and chairman of CBS in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.
“I wish that Julie was a little bit more personable and straightforward about it, to be honest with you,” Mai, 39, told Us at Autism Speaks’ Into the Blue Gala at The Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday, October 4. “I can’t imagine what she’s going through. I know that as a mother, she has to think about her kids first.”
The stylist specifically took issue with the Big Brother host’s July 27 tweet about Moonves’ scandal, which read in part, “I fully support my husband and stand behind him.” (The former media executive has denied any wrongdoing.)
Mai told Us on Thursday, “I don’t agree with what she said about standing by her man. I think as a woman it’d be best for her to get some space away from him so she can hear her own intuition and be around supportive friends and come to an intelligent, safe decision for her family.”
Chen, 48, announced her departure from The Talk after nine seasons in a pre-taped video message that aired at the end of the September 18 episode. She explained to viewers that she wanted to “spend more time at home with my husband and our young son,” referencing 9-year-old Charlie.
“I didn’t love [seeing] a recording and hearing her stick by her man because that’s the last thing I would want to do,” Mai told Us. “But that’s me. I’m not in her marriage.”
Though Chen is done with The Talk, Us confirmed in September that she wants to continue hosting Big Brother as well as the upcoming second season of Celebrity Big Brother. An official decision has not yet been announced.
