10:35 AM PDT 6/15/2018
by
Ryan Parker
“Chris Hardwick had no operational involvement with Nerdist for the two years preceding the expiration of his contract in December 2017. He no longer has any affiliation with Legendary Digital Networks,” Legendary Entertainment said in a statement.
Chris Hardwick has been scrubbed from the Nerdist website by Legendary Entertainment after his ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, appeared to accuse — but did not name — the mogul of sexual and emotional abuse during their three-year relationship.
“Chris Hardwick had no operational involvement with Nerdist for the two years preceding the expiration of his contract in December 2017. He no longer has any affiliation with Legendary Digital Networks. The company has removed all reference to Mr. Hardwick even as the original Founder of Nerdist pending further investigation,” a Legendary spokesperson said in statement on Friday.
In a lengthy essay posted to Medium on Thursday, Dykstra did say the perpetrator of the alleged abuse was 20 years her senior and described him as someone who went from being a “podcaster to a powerhouse CEO of his own company.”
Hardwick is 20 years older than Dykstra and CEO of Nerdist Industries. Legendary Entertainment acquired Nerdist in July 2012.
Hardwick’s Nerdist bio, before it was removed, stated he “currently serves as founder, CEO, and creative head of Nerdist Industries, a media empire under the Legendary Digital Network that encompasses the Nerdist.com website, YouTube channel, and Hardwick’s incredibly successful Nerdist Podcast, which he continues to host and garners over 6.9M downloads per month.”
In the piece titled “Rose-Colored Glasses: A Confession,” Dykstra shares disturbing allegations from the relationship, including rules that the man allegedly made for her, like that she could not go out at night unless he was there, no male friends and no drinking because he was sober, so she had to be.
“I generally stopped speaking unless spoken to while with him, drifting through life like a ghost,” she wrote. “I would try to sleep in as late as possible so my days were shorter. I stopped listening to music entirely. I ceased to be. I was an ex-person.”
The most serious accusation, though, is that she claims the man sexually assaulted her.
Dykstra ended the Medium post by writing: “A sincere and heartfelt apology could have made my last four years a hell of a lot easier. The person I used to date would try to sue me due to pride- I would not recommend it. I have audio/video that will support and prove many of the things I’ve stated in this post. I’ve chosen not to include it for your sake, in the hopes that the person you’ve become will do the right thing.”
Early Friday morning, Dykstra tweeted: “I quietly posted an article today, unlisted on Medium. It clearly made the rounds. I’m overwhelmed and I want to thank all of you for your support and kind words- they mean so much to me. I may take some time off the internet, please know your support means everything to me.”
A rep for Hardwick did not immediately return a request for comment.
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