RYAN SEACREST DENIES HARRASSMENT ACCUSATIONS (UPDATED)

Ryan Seacrest is denying accusations that he sexually abused his former E! Network stylist, saying Suzie Hardy demanded $15 million from him before she went public with her story. (CAUTION) Variety reported Monday that Hardy accused Seacrest of subjecting her “to years of unwanted sexual aggression” while she was his stylist from 2006-2013, including “grinding his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear, groping her vagina, and at one point slapping her buttock so hard that it left a large welt still visible hours later.”

… Seacrest’s lawyer said that it was “upsetting” that Variety chose to run Hardy’s story, saying that Hardy threatened to make the “false claims” if she did not receive $15 million. Hardy’s attorney told Variety that “neither he nor Hardy has asked Seacrest, E!, or the cable channel’s corporate parents for any money.”

… Seacrest’s lawyer said in a statement: “On January 31st the network notified us that their independent third-party investigation had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support her claims, effectively, clearing my client’s name. It’s telling that after my client refused to pay her money, and the E! investigation resulted as it did, that she is now coming forward to share her debunked story to the press.”

UPDATE:

ABC has said that Seacrest will continue as host of the rebooted American Idol, slated to premiere March 11th.

  • E! is also standing by Seacrest, and plans to have him host the Red Carpet at the Oscars, as scheduled. The awards season has been dominated by the Time’s Up Movement, and the Red Carpet has become a scene of political activism against sexual harassment and misconduct, as much as a scene of glitz and glam.
  • The allegations were divulged in graphic detail in Variety Monday by his former stylist Suzie Hardy, who claims he grabbed her genitals and subjected her to years of unwanted sexual contact and comments. He denies the allegations and E! has said that its internal investigation cleared him of wrongdoing.
  • E!’s investigation was extremely comprehensive and thorough. Over the course of a two month process, our outside counsel interviewed more than two dozen people regarding the allegations, including multiple separate meetings with the claimant and all firsthand witnesses that she provided,” a spokesperson for E! tells PEOPLE. “The investigator is an attorney with nearly 20 years experience and is highly regarded professionally. Any claims that question the legitimacy of this investigation are completely baseless.”

RYAN SEACREST SPEAKS OUT LATE TUESDAY

Tuesday afternoon, Seacrest commented again on the allegations, issuing another strong denial.

  • "Much has been said about the #MeToo and Times Up movement(s) and the importance of providing women and men with the opportunity to share their stories of workplace misconduct, in an effort to change our culture and the systemic inequalities that exist. I absolutely support this cause unequivocally and applaud all the brave souls who have come forward to share their stories," Seacrest said in a statement to Fox News.
  • "Sadly, last fall I became one of the accused, which I promptly revealed proactively to the network involved and to the public. And to be equally clear, those accusations were then investigated by an independent third-party over the course of a two-month process and involved dozens of interviews that included me, the accuser and countless others. Ultimately, my name was cleared," he continued. "I eagerly participated in the investigation in order to demonstrate my innocence because I know my truth, and I believe in due process.
  • "Yesterday, Variety published a salacious story that revealed the specific claims against me for the first time – even though an independent third-party investigator found insufficient evidence to support the claims. Much to my dismay, Variety didn’t speak with me or bother to speak with other credible witnesses or even ask for any of the evidence that was obtained during the investigation when offered, all of which clearly challenged the veracity of the claims made against me. 
  • "This person who has accused me of horrible things tried to buy her silence by asking for money on multiple occasions — I refused. I have worked extremely hard to achieve my success and I don’t take my opportunities for granted. I don’t want to accuse anyone of not telling the truth but in this case, I have no choice but to again deny the claims against me, remind people that I was recused of any wrongdoing, and put the matter to rest."

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