Ryan Seacrest Slams "Salacious" Sexual Harassment Claims in New Statement

On Tuesday, Ryan Seacrest released a new statement denying the allegations of sexual harassment that have been made against him by former E! stylist Suzie Hardy. Though Ryan first faced these accusations in November 2017, Variety has published a new exclusive report that outlines the allegations in extreme detail. In his statement, Ryan talks about the importance of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, but also reasserts his innocence and mentions an already completed investigation that cleared his name. He also calls Variety's report "salacious" and notes that the publication failed to reach out to him prior to posting the article. Read his statement in full below.

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.

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. 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.

While E! has yet to release an official statement regarding the matter, a spokesperson for the network told Variety that "of course he is" still hosting the E! red carpet preshow at the Oscars. Additionally, Ryan has the support of ABC, with whom he has contracts for Live with Kelly & Ryan as well as the upcoming American Idol reboot.