Fox and National Geographic are investigating “Cosmos” host Neil deGrasse Tyson after three women accused the celebrity astrophysicist of sexual misconduct, including rape in one instance.
Tyson did not immediately respond to requests from TheWrap for comment Friday.
On Nov. 8, Patheos published an interview with Tchiya Amet, who says Tyson drugged and raped her in 1984 when they were both grad students. On Thursday, two more women came forward with accusations in Patheos: Dr. Katelyn N. Allers, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at Bucknell University who says she was “felt up” by Tyson at a party in 2009, and his former assistant Ashley Watson, who said she quit her job because of Tyson’s sexual advances.
“The credo at the heart of ‘Cosmos’ is to follow the evidence wherever it leads. The producers of ‘Cosmos’ can do no less in this situation. We are committed to a thorough investigation of this matter and to act accordingly as soon as it is concluded,” the producers of the series said in a statement.
“We have only just become aware of the recent allegations regarding Neil deGrasse Tyson. We take these matters very seriously and we are reviewing the recent reports,” Fox Broadcasting Company and National Geographic said in a statement.
A second iteration of “Cosmos” was set to premiere in early 2019.
