Julie Chen on the real reason she left Talk, Les Moonves allegations – The Hollywood Reporter
Julie Chen Moonves said she questioned her husband, Leslie Moonves, about the 2018 sexual abuse allegations that led to his resignation as CBS CEO, and disputed an earlier statement that she made the decision to leave the company The conversation after a decade as co-host.
Chen Moonves openly addressed both issues, but also declined to discuss the “Believe Her” movement with Juju Chang Good morning America Monday. The Big Brother The host appeared as part of a segment promoting her new memoir. But first God, in which she describes how she “found God” over the last five years. It’s an experience that, she says, turned her into a “selfish, career-oriented, vain, talkative person who is fun to be with, but probably more of a superficial person.”
During the discussion, Chen Moonves claims that she did this despite her statement announcing her departure The conversation In 2018, her exit was of her own accord and not on her own terms.
At the time, she said in a recorded segment: “I was there The conversation since the day it began nine years ago. And the cast, crew and staff have become family to me over the years. But right now I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our little son, so I decided to leave The conversation.”
But while I’m with GMA, Chen Moonves changed course and said she “never revealed” that she was asked to leave the show pending her memoir. “That was a hard time. I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. “That was me, you know?” she said.
Chen Moonves added that she has reconciled, but “I don’t know if I could have reconciled if I didn’t have God in my life.”
Chen’s exit from The conversation followed an exposé 2018 in The New Yorker It details allegations of sexual misconduct against Moonves, including claims of forcible touching or kissing, physical intimidation and threats to jeopardize careers.
An internal investigation found the allegations had merit and the former CEO was denied his severance pay, with Moonves and then-ViacomCBS settling their arbitration over his firing.
In 2022, Moonves and Paramount Global also agreed to pay more than $9 million to shareholders as part of a settlement with the New York State Attorney General over sexual misconduct allegations against Moonves.
At the time of the first allegations, Chen Moonves issued a statement on social media in which she wrote that she had known her husband for decades. “Leslie is a good man and loving father, devoted husband and inspiring business leader,” she said. “He was always a kind, decent and moral person. I fully support my husband and stand by him.”
When talking to GMAChen Moonves was asked if she had questioned her husband about the allegations. “We don’t want to talk about that,” she told Chang. “But of course, yes. I know my husband. You know? I know my husband.”
The Big Brother The presenter discussed a portion of her memoir in which she described the personal difficulties of telling her son about the allegations. “I told him that there were false reports about our family and that I kept it simple,” she remembers. “I said, ‘So if you ever hear anything or read anything, come to us first. You know this family. You know who we are. And don’t let anyone mess with it.’”
Chen Moovnes also declined to directly address her position on the “Believe her” movement, which followed the wave of #MeToo allegations beginning in 2017, including against her husband Leslie.
“Well, I think this is getting off track But first God,” she said. “I think guys – we all go through hard times in this world, in our lives. Mine aren’t over just because I found Christ. I think we need to keep focusing on Him.”
A representative from CBS presided The Hollywood Reporter to representatives for The conversationwho didn’t answer THRRequest for comments.
