Chris Hardwick to Return to ‘Talking Dead’ as AMC Wraps Review Into Misconduct Accusation

AMC has finished its investigation into “Talking Dead” host Chris Hardwick and given the suspended TV personality the green light to 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,'” an AMC spokesman told TheWrap. “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.”

Hardwick will return as the host of “Talking Dead” in time for its August 12 premiere, which follows the midseason return of “Fear the Walking Dead.” His interim replacement, Yvette Nicole Brown, will remain guest host for AMC’S “Walking Dead” Season 9 preview special on August 5, and will be one of Hardwick’s guests a week later on his “Talking Dead” return.

Also Read:Comic-Con Kicks Off With No Mention of Chris Hardwick or #MeToo

Hardwick was publicly accused of sexual misconduct by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra in a June Medium essay. Though Dykstra did not name the former boyfriend, whom she said pressured her into sex and ultimately derailed her career, it was pretty easy to connect the dots to the Nerdist founder.

In her essay, titled “Rose-Colored Glasses: A Confession,” the 29-year-old said that when she was in her early twenties she dated a man “almost 20 years my senior” who displayed what she called “controlling behavior” — including ordering her to remain in their hotel room while he attended parties at San Diego Comic-Con.

Dykstra, who co-hosted the cosplay show “Just Cos” on Nerdist’s YouTube channel, said she was “quickly pressured to take an on-camera job at his company I didn’t want.”

Also Read:Jacinda Barrett Defends Ex-Boyfriend Chris Hardwick, Cautions Against 'Rush to Judgement'

She also accused the man of pressuring her into sex against her will, though she wrote, “To be fair, I did go along with it out of fear of losing him.”

Dykstra wrote that “after three years of being snapped/yelled at constantly, very rarely being shown any affection- I finally left him.”

But Dykstra said that after the breakup, the man “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.”

Also Read:Adam Carolla Defends Chris Hardwick: 'A Gentle Soul of a Guy' (Audio)

Hardwick, who was suspended from AMC, lost a moderating role at July’s Comic-Con and a stand-up comedy spot at festival Humor Me, and was scrubbed from the Nerdist website following Dykstra’s essay, has denied the accusations of abuse. Numerous family members and famous friends have also spoken up on his behalf.

NBC is still assessing Hardwick’s role as host of primetime game show “The Wall.”

Related Video: Chris Hardwick and the Scrutiny of the Nerd Industry

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Yvette Nicole Brown Named Interim 'Talking Dead' Host as AMC Investigates Chris Hardwick

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Jaimie Alexander Defends 'Friend' Chris Hardwick: 'Choosing to Follow My Heart'

Jacinda Barrett Defends Ex-Boyfriend Chris Hardwick, Cautions Against 'Rush to Judgement'

Chloe Dykstra Speaks Out After Chris Hardwick's Denial: 'These Behaviors Are Insidious'