Chris Hardwick is making a full comeback. The host is set to appear as a guest judge on America’s Got Talent on Tuesday, August 7, and will return in the fall to host the third season of The Wall.
Hardwick’s AGT appearance will be his first since he was accused of abusive behavior by ex Chloe Dykstra. The actress, who dated Hardwick from 2012 to 2014, penned a detailed essay in June 2018, in which she didn’t directly name Hardwick. The essay included claims of sexual assault and emotional abuse. She also accused the man, who was believed to be Hardwick based on her statements, of blacklisting her and ending her career.
The Nerdist founder, 46, denied her claims in a statement to Us, stating that he was “devastated to read” her essay. “l was blindsided by her post and always wanted the best for her,” he said on June 15. “As a husband, a son, and future father, I do not condone any kind of mistreatment of women.”
AMC briefly pulled his talk show following the claims before replacing him temporarily with Yvette Nicole Brown. On July 25, AMC revealed that an investigation had been completed, and Hardwick would return.
“Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan Bierman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of Talking Dead and Talking with Chris Hardwick,” the network said in a statement. “We take these matters very seriously and given the information available to us after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step.”
