Following the abuse allegations made by Chloe Dykstra, AMC is under pressure to cancel soon to return chat show Talking with Chris Hardwick. To say it hasn’t been a great day for the former @Midnight host would be a massive understatement. Early on Friday, Hardwick’s ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra published an essay detailing a long-term, disturbingly abusive relationship she had once been involved in. While Hardwick’s name wasn’t mentioned in the post, in was quite obvious based on the details provided that he was the person being talked about.
As of this writing, Hardwick still has yet to respond to Dykstra’s allegations in any way, and it can logically be assumed that the prolific TV personality is currently consulting with a crisis PR firm on how best to handle the situation. Already though, Nerdist - the company Hardwick founded - has scrubbed his name from every inch of their website, illustrating just how fast someone can become seen as toxic in today’s age of these types of allegations being taken much more seriously than in decades past.
In the latest development, Deadline reports that AMC is currently dealing with calls to pull the plug on the already filmed second season of Talking with Chris Hardwick. Set to premiere on Sunday - for now anyway - season 2 guests include such big Hollywood names as Donald Glover, Chris Pratt, Seth Rogen, and Ethan Hawke. Yet, it’s reportedly reps for those stars that are providing most of said pressure to AMC, as Hardwick’s guests are now understandably concerned about the prospect of being publicly associated with him, especially this soon after the scandal hit.
Based on both the current social climate around such issues - and the past immediacy with which some prior alleged perpetrators saw their careers all but end - it seems likely that AMC will succumb to the pressure outlined above, and cancel Talking with Chris Hardwick. At the very least, the premiere of season 2 will probably be delayed until the situation can be investigated further.
If Hardwick’s career flatlines, that would of course not only cost AMC Talking with Chris Hardwick, but also their host for after shows Talking Dead, Talking Saul, and Talking Preacher. It may not be as simple as finding a new host for those shows either, as Hardwick is also credited as a a producer on them, and may still stand to benefit financially if the shows themselves continue. One also wonders how long it’ll take for NBC to start feeling their own Hardwick-related pressure, as he hosts their returning game show The Wall.
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Season 2 of Talking with Chris Hardwick is - for now - scheduled to premiere Sunday on AMC.
Source: Deadline
