Julie Chen is pretty much being forced off her daytime gig as a longtime host at “The Talk” as a result of her husband, ex-CBS chief Les Moonves, and his alleged sexual improprieties and his reported vendetta against Janet Jackson, the media has learned.
Sources close to the popular morning talk show tell TMZ that Tuesday’s show will include a videotape of Chen informing the in-house and television audience that she is quitting the show effectively right away.
According to the entertainment publication, the discussions around her tenure on the show frequently revolved around her husband alleged sexual misdeeds.
No less than 12 women have come forward to accuse Moonves, the former CEO of CBS, of various forms of sexual harassment and assault, including forced oral sex and retribution when his advances were declined. He was forced out of his posh gig a couple of weeks ago. Chen supported her husband wholeheartedly, which put her at odds with many supporters of the #MeToo movement.
Also, it was recently reported by multiple outlets including rolling out that Moonves allegedly tried to destroy Janet Jackson’s career after she failed to apologize “enough” after her 2004 “Nipplegate” at that year’s Super Bowl. Chen also came out on “The Talk” and arrogantly criticized Jackson for the faux pas.
Most Jackson fans remember her career taking a sharp nosedive following that Super Bowl halftime performance with Justin Timberlake. Timberlake offered a teary-eyed mea culpa and the ban on his performance at that year’s Grammys was lifted.
Chen did appear on “Big Brother” last week and it seems she’ll stick that one out … at least in the short term. She made it clear she’s standing by her husband at the end of last week’s show when she signed off as “Julie Chen Moonves.”
There is no word yet on who might replace Chen as the lead host.
