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Lydia Hearst Defends Husband Chris Hardwick Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

Lydia Hearst Defends Chris Hardwick Sexual Assault Allegations
Lydia Hearst and Chris Hardwick attend The Walking Dead 100th Episode and Season Eight Premiere at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California on October 22, 2017. Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com

Weighing in. Lydia Hearst came to husband Chris Hardwick’s defense after he denied sexually assaulting or abusing ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra.

Related: Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct Scandals

“This is not a statement in defense, this is a statement of defense. Defense for all the women who have been sexually abused, raped, trafficked, and tortured; defense of all the people who this movement was started for,” Hearst wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday, June 21. “Over the last year the #MeToo movement has rightly aimed a spotlight directly on women whose stories needed to be told. As someone who has been involved in toxic relationships in the past, I know firsthand the importance of sharing these stories and do not take this situation lightly.”

The 33-year-old actress continued: “I have made the decision to come out in support of my husband not out of obligation, but out of necessity to speak the truth about the person I know. Chris is nothing but loving and compassionate and is the only person who has stood by me, never judged me, helped me heal, and feel whole. To defend my husband would be giving credence to any of these accusations. I will not do that. Chris Hardwick is a good man.”

Related: Olivia Munn, Lupita Nyong’o and More of the Most Powerful Statements by Women About Sexual Harassment

“I remain in complete support of my husband, and I believe that the truth will always win,” she concluded. “#TimesUp because I know my truth and I believe in due process.”

Hearst spoke out for the first time since Dykstra published an essay on Medium.com on June 14 detailing a previous relationship in which an unnamed ex allegedly sexually assaulted and abused her. Several clues suggested Hardwick, 46, was the man she was referring to in her account.

“Every night, I laid there for him, occasionally in tears. He called it ‘starfishing.’ He thought the whole idea was funny,” Dykstra, 29, wrote. “To be fair, I did go along with it out of fear of losing him. I’m still recovering from being sexually used (not in a super fun way) for three years.” The actress also claimed her ex ruined her career by blacklisting her.

Related: Celebs Fight Back on Social Media

Hardwick denied he ever sexually assaulted or abused Dykstra in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, June 15. “These are very serious allegations and not to be taken lightly, which is why I’ve taken the day to consider how to respond,” he said at the time. “I was heartbroken to read Chloe’s post. Our three year relationship was not perfect — we were ultimately not a good match and argued — even shouted at each other — but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.”

He added: “When we were living together, I found out that Chloe had cheated on me, and I ended the relationship. For several weeks after we broke up, she asked to get back together with me and even told me she wanted to have kids with me, ‘build a life’ with me and told me that I was ‘the one,’ but I did not want to be with someone who was unfaithful. I’m devastated to read that she is now accusing me of conduct that did not occur. l was blindsided by her post and always wanted the best for her. As a husband, a son, and future father, I do not condone any kind of mistreatment of women.”

Nerdist, Hardwick’s content company, has cut ties with the comedian since the allegations surfaced while AMC pulled his talk show from their lineup.

Dykstra thanked her supporters in a heartfelt Twitter post on Wednesday, June 20: “Despite recent events, I hope that everyone personally affected by my story can to find their own closure, through the support of loved ones and friends, the way I have. In addition, my heart goes out to those caught in the fallout. Having been able to lift from my shoulders that which was weighing me down, I’m ready to move forwards in my life, finally, instead of looking back with fear and sadness.”

Hardwick dated Dykstra from 2012 to 2014. The former @midnight host married Hearst in August 2016.

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