Chris Hardwick Bows Out of San Diego Comic Con and Removed From Other Appearances

The hits just keep on coming as Chris Hardwick has come under fire for allegations of abuse. On June 14th, 2018, Chloe Dykstra released an article on Medium, titled Rose-Colored Glasses: A Confession, where she detailed allegations of multiple cases of abuse both emotional and sexual during her relationship with Chris Hardwick. She painted a picture of a very controlling and often one sided relationship where she felt trapped.

While she never calls out Hardwick by name, it took the media all of two seconds to put the pieces together. Investigations are taking place looking into these allegations, but companies are beginning to release statements either canceling appearances or suspending production. Chris Hardwick has made a career out of hosting just about everything, but it may be awhile before we see his face on our screens again, pending further investigation.

AMC has worked with Hardwick for years on after shows for The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. They had even given him his own talk show, Talking with Chris Hardwick. Talking was slated to air its second season soon, but the network has confirmed in a statement that the show will not be airing. The San Diego Tribune released the following statement from AMC. “We have had a positive working relationship with Chris Hardwick for many years. We take the troubling allegations that surfaced yesterday very seriously. While we assess the situation, ‘Talking with Chris Hardwick’ will not air on AMC, and Chris has decided to step aside from moderating planned AMC and BBC America panels at Comic-Con International in San Diego next month.”

AMC has been inviting Hardwick to host their Walking Dead panels at San Diego Comic Con for years. Based on their statement, it seems that Chris Hardwick made the hard choice himself to bow out of hosting SDCC panels. While it appears so far he was only slated for two panels (The Walking Dead and Doctor Who), Hardwick would often moderate a dozen or so panels during SDCC. It looks like there will be some fresh faces moderating all of your favorite panels this year.

AMC wasn’t the only network to reassess their working relationship with Hardwick. Receiving a 20 episode third season in March, The Wall on NBC is looking to start production in September. They have now issued a statement about the host of the popular game show. Deadline reported NBC’s statement as follows. “These allegations about Chris Hardwick took us by surprise as we have had a positive working relationship with him.  However, we take allegations of misconduct very seriously. Production on The Wall does not begin until September, and in the meantime we are continuing to assess the situation and will take appropriate action based on the outcome.

Chris Hardwick may have made a name for himself as an exuberant host, but he also rose to fame as a stand-up comedian. While his hosting commitments prevent him from being on the road for stand-up often, he was committed to appear at KAABOO Del Mar. KAABOO released the following statement regarding Hardwick, “June 15, 2018: We have made the decision to pull Chris Hardwick from the KAABOO Del Mar 2018 comedy lineup following detailed accusations of substantial abuse. KAABOO is an experience dedicated to providing a safe community and fostering an inclusive environment for all of our guests, performing artists and comedians, chefs, visual artists and team members. KAABOO does not condone, and will not tolerate, any type of abusive behavior or harassment. A replacement act for Hardwick will be announced shortly.”

After these allegations from Chloe Dykstra, Chris Hardwick took time before releasing the following statement as reported by Deadline. “These are very serious allegations and not to be taken lightly which is why I’ve taken the day to consider how to respond,” said Hardwick in a statement Friday night. “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.”

The statement goes on to paint Dykstra is a less flattering light; although, in my opinion, this was probably not the best way to go about a response. Hardwick continues, “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,” he added in the carefully crafted response. “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.”

Ever since the #MeToo movement, these stories are all too common, so much so that many discount any new story that arises. I have read comments on these articles that discount Dykstra and victim blame. Many comments wonder why it appears that Hardwick has been labeled as guilty from the get go. These are just some of the reasons why the #MeToo movement has taken so long to become reality. Often times, these male celebrities hold so much power that even the strongest and most terrible allegations are not believed. In her essay, Dykstra speaks of evidence that supports her claims. I believe that this evidence will come to light even if it is never released to the public. I will say that I think a lot of us forget sometimes that perception in the media is not the same as the justice system. Yes, in a court of law you are innocent until proven guilty. But your perception in the media can make or break a person, company, production, etc. We’re talking about the entertainment industry where their jobs are to sell the public on a person. Whether Chris Hardwick is guilty of any of these allegations, the perception of him right now is a bad one. We may not know for awhile if any of the allegations are true, but the unfortunate reality is that many of these #MeToo allegations have been confirmed, given enough time.