Here's How 'The Four' Addressed Charlie Walk's Absence on Its Season Finale

Charlie Walk
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The Republic Records president told ET in a statement last week that he would not be attending the finale after being accused of sexual harassment.

The Four didn't dwell on Charlie Walk's absence. 

The Republic Records president was missing from Thursday night's finale of the singing competition show, a week after separating himself from the series following allegations of sexual harassment.

At the top of Thursday's episode, Fergie introduced DJ Khaled, Meghan Trainor and Diddy as the show's panelists, before noting that Walk, a judge on the show, was not in attendance. 

"As you can see, we're without one of our panelists tonight. Charlie Walk will not be attending tonight's finale. But four artists are back to battle it out one last time with it all on the line," she said, before Evvie McKinney, Vincint Cannady, Candice Boyd and Zhavia emerged to perform Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory." 

A few fans quickly took to Twitter to comment on Walk's abrupt exit from the show, but many others wondered why he was suddenly missing. 

His absence didn't come out of nowhere, however. In a statement to ET on Jan. 31, Walk, who was accused of sexual harassment by several women and subsequently placed on leave at Republic Records, said he did not want his presence at The Four to be a "distraction." 

"Out of respect for the contestants, my fellow judges and everyone involved with the show, I have made the decision not to attend the finale of The Four," Walk expressed in a statement given to ET by his attorney, Patricia Glaser. "I do not want my presence to be a distraction. Needless to say this is very upsetting. Although I continue to support the Me Too movement, there has been an extreme rush to judgment against me in this particular case which is unfair and inconsistent with anything that even actually happened. I welcome any investigation so that in short order these unfounded and hurtful accusations can be put to rest.”

See more on The Four in the video below. 

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