Chris Hardwick Responds to Ex-Girlfriend Chloe Dykstra's Abuse Allegations Against Unnamed Ex

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The TV host spoke out against the claims on Friday night.

Chris Hardwick has broken his silence. 

The TV host spoke out on Friday night about his ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra's, claims that she was abused by an unnamed ex-boyfriend that many believed to be Hardwick. 

In a statement to Deadline on Friday, Hardwick said he was "blindsided" by Dykstra's claims and denied any sexual assault. 

"These are very serious allegations and not to be taken lightly which is why I’ve taken the day to consider how to respond. I was heartbroken to read Chloe's post," he said. "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.”

"When we were living together, I found out that Chloe cheated on me, and I ended the relationship," he continued. "For several weeks after we broke up, she asked me to get back together with me and even told me she wanted to have kids with me, 'build a life' with me and told me that I was 'the one,' but I did not want to be with someone who was unfaithful."

"I'm devastated to read that she is now accusing me of conduct that did not occur. I was blindsided by her post and always wanted the best for her. As a husband, a son, and future father, I do not condone any kind of mistreatment of women," Hardwick concluded.

In a first-person essay published on Thursday, the 29-year-old actress alleged she was emotionally and physically abused by a former boyfriend who was nearly 20 years older than her when she was in her early 20s. She also described her ex as a man who "grew from a mildly successful podcaster to a powerhouse CEO of his own company."

Hardwick, who is now 46 years old and married Lydia Hearst in August 2016, has hosted the Nerdist Podcast (now rebranded as ID10T) since 2010, along with several TV shows, including Talking Dead, AMC's official aftershow for The Walking Dead. 

On Friday, Legendary Entertainment, which acquired Nerdist in July 2012, issued a statement to ET saying they had removed any mention of Hardwick from their site.

"Chris Hardwick had no operational involvement with Nerdist for the two years preceding the expiration of his contract in December 2017. He no longer has any affiliation with Legendary Digital Networks. The company has removed all reference to Mr. Hardwick even as the original Founder of Nerdist pending further investigation," a Legendary spokesperson said in the statement.

Nerdist also released a statement via Twitter on Friday. "Hey everyone, Like you, we were shocked to read the news this morning," the statement read. "Nerdist prides itself on being an inclusive company made up of a positive, diverse community of people who come together to share and discuss the things we love. That type of behavior is contrary to everything we stand for and believe in, and we absolutely don't tolerate discrimination, harassment and other forms of abuse."

Hardwick was also dropped from his upcoming September appearance at the Kaaboo Festival in Del Mar, California. 

"We have made the decision to pull Chris Hardwick from the KAABOO Del Mar 2018 comedy lineup following detailed accusations of substantial abuse. KAABOO is an experience dedicated to providing a safe community and fostering an inclusive environment for all of our guests, performing artists and comedians, chefs, visual artists and team members. KAABOO does not condone, and will not tolerate, any type of abusive behavior or harassment," the festival announced on Friday. "A replacement act for Hardwick will be announced shortly."

ET has reached out to all parties involved for comment. 

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