In the span of time following actress Chloe Dykstra’s detailed account of Chris Hardwick’s alleged sexual abuse during their relationship, many have taken to social media to express their own criticisms and observations. Some of those individuals, as it turns out, actually know the people at the center of this developing story, offering insights, denials, support, and sometimes…silence.
On Thursday, Dykstra posted a tell-all article describing the alleged sexual abuse and industry blacklisting she experienced. And while she never outright named Hardwick in the piece, this avoidance was a mere formality. The creator of the Nerdist empire and persistent television presence found his professional roles — including hosting NBC’s The Wall and AMC’s second season of Talking with Chis Hardwick, which was in its pre-release phase — effectively scrapped for the time being.
By now, several individuals who are more familiar with the people involved have made pains to express their opinions and allegiances on social media. The online commentary has been non-stop, and even though Hardwick released an official statement denying Dykstra’s sexual abuse claims in specific, this has done little to stem the tide as the court of public opinion continues to preside on the story.
Hardwick married model and actress Lydia Hearst in August 2016. His mother-in-law, Patty Hearst, did not directly comment on the matters at hand, but she indirectly cast shade on Dykstra’s allegations when she posted a photo on Twitter with the caption, “Beware the person who stabs you and then tells the world they’re the one who’s bleeding.” Take a look:
Dykstra’s present boyfriend, actor Robert Kazinsky, weighed in on the matter with the statement that he has seen proof of Dykstra’s allegations, and specifically noted that he has seen others qualify her industry blacklisting claims. Kazinsky tagged Hardwick directly in his post on Twitter on June 16.
Donna Dickens, a writer for Nerdist, promptly expressed her support for Chloe Dykstra on Twitter, plainly stating: “…Chris Hardwick is a piece of trash and I believe women.” Dickens goes on to disregard the risk for her statement potentially threatening her status as a writer for the outlet, though this concern was quickly assuaged when Nerdist purged Hardwick’s name and content from their website on Friday.
Wil Wheaton also posted on Twitter in the wake of the scandal, which, effectively, amounted to no comment. On June 15 he stated that he needed “…some time to process what’s going on and put words to my thoughts.” Wheaton is known a close friend of Hardwick, and his silence on the matter was significant. Since the tweet was shared, the actor has still not shared his thoughts on the matter, although his tweet was promptly ratio’d.
Following his official statement, Chris Hardwick has not commented on the matter further. And while it has been announced that he will not be hosting the AMC and BBC panels at San Diego Comic-Con next month, most of his business partners (like AMC) are holding off on outright firing him until they have more information.
More: NBC to ‘Assess’ Chris Hardwick’s Role as The Wall’s Host
Source: Various (see links)
