Did Chloe Dykstra Just Accuse Ex-Boyfriend Chris Hardwick of ‘Long-Term Abuse,’ Career Blacklisting?

Former Nerdist host writes long, emotional essay calling out a former boyfriend

chris hardwick chloe dykstra
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UPDATE: Late Friday, Chris Hardwick issued a carefully phrased statement saying he was “blindsided” by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra’s accusations and “at no time did I sexually assault her.” He added, “I’m devastated to read that she is now accusing me of conduct that did not occur” — though he does not specify what conduct that includes beyond sexual assault.

Actress and TV personality Chloe Dykstra on Thursday unloaded a long and emotional essay accusing an unnamed ex-boyfriend of “long-term abuse” and career blacklisting.

Although she does not name the subject of her essay on Medium, the timing and key details suggest that she is referring to ex-boyfriend Chris Hardwick, the host of AMC’s “Walking Dead” after-shows and Comedy Central’s now-canceled “@Midnight” who built his love of geekdom into a veritable empire through his Nerdist Industries.

In her essay, titled “Rose-Colored Glasses: A Confession,” the 29-year-old said that when she was in her early 20s she dated a man “almost 20 years my senior” who displayed what she called “controlling behavior” — including ordering her to remain in their hotel room while he attended parties at San Diego Comic-Con and barring her from speaking in public or having male friends outside of work.

Dykstra, who co-hosted the cosplay show “Just Cos” on Nerdist’s YouTube channel, said she was “quickly pressured to take an on-camera job at his company I didn’t want.”

She also accused the man of pressuring her into sex against her will, though she wrote, “To be fair, I did go along with it out of fear of losing him.”

Dykstra wrote that “after three years of being snapped/yelled at constantly, very rarely being shown any affection- I finally left him.”

But Dykstra said that after the breakup, the man “made calls to several companies I received regular work from to get me fired by threatening to never work with them. He succeeded. I was blacklisted.”

She added, “A sincere and heartfelt apology could have made my last four years a hell of a lot easier.” The former couple announced their split via companion tweets in 2014. Hardwick, now 46, married heiress-actress Lydia Hearst in 2016.

Late Friday, hours after Nerdist purged Hardwick from its website “pending further investigation” into the accusations, the star responded to Dykstra’s accusations in a carefully worded statement that accused her of infidelity.

“I was heartbroken to read Chloe’s post,” he wrote. “Our three year relationship was not perfect–we were ultimately not a good match and argued–even shouted at each other–but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.”

Then, after accusing her of cheating on him which he said led him to break up with her, Hardwick continued, “I’m devastated to read that she is now accusing me of conduct that did not occur.” He does not specify which conduct he denies beyond her accusation of sexual assault.

“l was blindsided by her post and always wanted the best for her,” he continued. “As a husband, a son, and future father, I do not condone any kind of mistreatment of women.”

Dykstra, the daughter of Oscar-winning special-effects artist John Dykstra, on Friday morning also tweeted her thanks to well-wishers for “your support and kind words.”

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