Jordin Althaus/AMC (LOS ANGELES) — Chris Hardwick made a tearful return to Talking Dead Sunday night, following allegations of sexual abuse by his ex-girlfriend Chloe Dysktra.
According to Entertainment Weekly, while he did not address the allegations specifically, Hardwick shed some tears as he thanked The Walking Dead fans for their support and expressed gratitude for his job.
“I really just want to take a minute and I want to say that I’m so appreciative to be standing here right now, and I want to thank you, The Walking Dead community, for all your support over these past couple months,” he said at the beginning of the show.
Hardwick added, “This show is not just a job to me, this is a vital part of my life, this has been a sanctuary these last seven years we’ve been here.”
The host was replaced by Yvette Nicole Brown at the Walking Dead Comic-Con panel after Dykstra wrote a detailed Medium essay accusing Hardwick of emotional, physical and sexual abuse during the course of their relationship. He was ultimately allowed to return to his hosting duties after an AMC investigation. Dykstra did not participate in the investigation, claiming on Twitter that she “never set out to ruin the career of the person I spoke about.”
According to The Wrap, a female executive producer on Talking Dead and a “handful” of other staffers left the show after Hardwick was reinstated.
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