Julie Chen will reportedly leave ‘The Talk’
One week after skipping out on the season premiere of “The Talk,” Julie Chen is reportedly leaving for good.
Chen, whose husband Les Moonves was ousted last week as CBS CEO amid allegations of sexual assault, will leave the morning talk show effective immediately, according to CNN.
The host said she would be taking an indeterminate amount of time off to spend time with her family the day Moonves’ resignation was announced.
CNN reports she’ll inform her viewers of her decision to leave in a videotaped message that will air during Tuesday’s episode.
Chen, will, however, stick around as host of the popular reality series “Big Brother,” which will wrap its 20th season later this month.
“The Talk” is currently in its ninth season, and Chen has been a member of its panel since its premiere in 2010.
“She has decided that her main focus needs to be clearing her husband’s name from accusations made 25-30 years ago and tending to her son,” a source told the outlet.
The TV personality and Moonves have been married since 2004, and share an 8-year-old son, Charlie.
Chen, 48, has repeatedly declared her support for her husband, and on Thursday’s episode of “Big Brother,” referred to herself as “Julie Chen Moonves” for the first time.
In July, when Moonves, 68, was first hit with multiple allegations of assault, she issued a statement calling the executive a “good man and a loving father.”
“He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being,” she wrote on Twitter. “I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement.”
Moonves has denied the more than a dozen allegations of sexual assault and harassment that came to light in exposes published by Ronan Farrow and The New Yorker.
Meanwhile, Chen’s “The Talk” co-hosts have offered their support on episodes of the gab fest.
Sharon Osbourne last week said it was “very embarrassing and upsetting” for Chen to have to discuss her husband’s alleged indiscretions, while Sara Gilbert offered her support.
“Julie is our friend,” Gilbert said. “This is our ninth season, and we’ve been together since the beginning. I love her and support her always. However, this is an important time in our culture, and just because this hits close to home doesn’t change the story.”
Osbourne, did, however, acknowledge the severity of the accusations against Moonves, namely an account by former television executive Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, who claimed Moonves not only sexually assaulted her, but destroyed her career.
“Her story just broke my heart,” Osbourne said. “It really broke my heart. Phyllis said, ‘Who would believe me? I’m a nothing, and this man is everything.’ That power, power, power. Why is it when men get that power, it goes to their testicles?”
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