Earlier this morning, we reported on a first-person account from actress and cosplay luminary Chloe Dykstra in which she recounted a painful period in her life: An emotionally and sexually abusive relationship with an unnamed podcaster-turned-CEO. And although Dykstra takes pains not to say his name in the post, it’s easy to infer from the details of her story—and indeed, many have— that she’s talking about her ex-boyfriend, Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick.
And although Nerdist also doesn’t explicitly state the connection between its actions and Dykstra’s post, a report from Deadline saying that all mentions of Hardwick have been removed from the Nerdist website also encourages readers to read between the lines. In a statement, Nerdist owner Legendary Entertainment says:
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.
That doesn’t mean Hardwick is out of a job, however. His AMC talk show Talking With Chris Hardwick returns this Sunday, and NBC renewed game show The Wall, which he hosts, for a third season back in March. Just yesterday, BBC America announced that Hardwick would host the Doctor Who panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, ironically following the introduction of Jodie Whitaker, the first female Doctor in the show’s history.