Podcaster, show host, and geek opportunist Chris Hardwick has released a statement after his ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, alleged he emotionally abused and sexually assaulted her during their three-year relationship. Hardwick says "at no time did I sexually assault her."
On Thursday evening, Dykstra, an actress, model, and gamer commonly known online as Skydart, released an initially anonymous Medium post which detailed the traumatic account of the couple's relationship. Although Dykstra does not out Hardwick as the ex by name in the post, she provided details that could have only been Hardwick.
SEE ALSO:How to improve sex scenes after Hollywood’s big reckoningDykstra claims that Hardwick -- who is 17 years older -- became emotionally abusive when their relationship started in her mid-twenties. She said he even laid out a strict set of rules she had to follow during their relationship.
Dykstra described how she was not able to go out at night, not allowed to be friends with any men other than coworkers, was forced to maintain sobriety, and was not allowed speak to him in public because "he believed that people recognized him and were listening to our conversations."
Chloe DykstraCredit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/REX/Shutterstock"I made the choice to accept his controlling behavior, as he’d just left his long-term girlfriend and I assumed that he was going through some serious emotional discomfort. This was a huge mistake," Dykstra wrote in the piece.
She also claims Hardwick physically assaulted her.
"...I was terrified to piss him off- so I did what he said … Including let him sexually assault me. Regularly. I was expected to be ready for him when he came home from work," she wrote.
"Every night, I laid there for him, occasionally in tears. He called it 'starfishing.' He thought the whole idea was funny," Dysktra said. "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."
In the account, Dykstra notes that she struggled for years to speak publicly on the relationship, and claims that after the breakup, Hardwick -- with the help from a mutual friend -- essentially blacklisted her from work, a common tactic used by predators in Hollywood.
"Because of my leaving him for someone else, he made calls to several companies I received regular work from to get me fired by threatening to never work with them. He succeeded. I was blacklisted. With the assistance of a woman who’d gained my trust and my heart over the past year, he steamrolled my career," Dykstra wrote.
Dykstra also opened up about recovering from the harrowing relationship, revealing that she had experienced anorexia during their time together and had suicidal thoughts after being blacklisted. She said that she is only now coming forward with the story as a form of closure, and wrote she's "done protecting him at the expense of my own mental health."
Hardwick, who married Lydia Hearst -- yes, that Hearst -- in 2016, responded to the allegations, saying "at no time did I sexually assault her."
via 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.”
In the full statement, Hardwick claims Dykstra cheated on her, and he ended the relationship (she says it was a kiss). He added that she begged him to get back together.
“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,” Hardwick told Deadline. “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.”
Since the Medium post was published, Nerdist, which Hardwick founded, scrubbed his name from its website pending further investigation.
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Dysktra also tweeted support for the company on Friday, writing that she hopes "they will not suffer as a result of my essay,' and adding that "they are good people."
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UPDATE: June 16, 2018, 12:38 p.m. PDT AMC released a statement on Saturday and said it will hold episodes of its show Talking with Chris Hardwick, pending an investigation. Additionally, Hardwick will no longer be moderating panels for AMC and BBC America at Comic-Con.
“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 Hardwickwill 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.”
Dysktra's full Medium post can be read here.
If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.
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