WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:
- Ryan Seacrest’s appearance at the Oscars red carpet on Sunday is still in question due to a sexual harassment allegation from a former E! News stylist.
- E! News remained supportive of Seacrest, as has his model girlfriend, Shayna Taylor.
- Seacrest claims he is being blackmailed by his accuser, Suzie Hardy, which the stylist denied.
Ryan Seacrest has been a presence at the Oscars red carpet every year. His appearance on Sunday’s Oscars, however, remains uncertain.
Jimmy Kimmel, this year’s Oscars host, said he’ll speak to Seacrest on the red carpet before the show starts.
“Listen, you know, we should at the very least afford people the opportunity for truth, what the facts of the story are before hanging them out to dry,” the Jimmy Kimmel live show host told Variety.
Jennifer Lawrence has been more guarded about the Seacrest allegation saying it is “scary” and “tricky.”
“He has not been to trial for anything … I am not a judge, I am not a jury,” she said on “The Howard Stern Radio Show.”
Seacrest immediately denied the allegation in November. This was his statement at the time.
“Throughout my 25 years in the entertainment industry, the majority of my co-workers have been women, and I’ve endeavored to foster a positive work environment of mutual respect and courtesy, as that’s how I believe it should be. I’m distraught that anyone or any situation would call that into question. I’m proud of my workplace reputation, and believe my track record will speak for itself.”
E! News investigated the allegation and told ABC News that there was “insufficient evidence” to support any claims of sexual misconduct by Seacrest.
Hardy gave an interview to Variety, in which she revealed Seacrest grabbed her genitals and slapped her buttocks forcefully. The 43-year-old host again denied the allegation.
“This person who has accused me of horrible things offered, on multiple occasions, to withdraw her claims if I paid her millions of dollars. I refused,” Seacrest said. “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.”
“The bottom line remains that this entire matter was created by someone who wanted to be paid $15 million and Mr. Seacrest’s decision to fight back against what was essentially an extortion attempt,” Ryan Seacrest attorney, Andrew Baum, told ABC News.
Source: ABC News
