A former stylist for\u201cAmerican Idol\u201d host Ryan Seacrest on Monday accused him of sexual misconduct, although Seacrest denied the accusations last November….<\/b>
\nA former stylist for\u201cAmerican Idol\u201d host Ryan Seacrest on Monday accused him of sexual misconduct, although Seacrest denied the accusations last November.
Suzie Hardy told Hollywood publication Variety that Seacrest sexually harassed her for six years, starting in 2007, when she became his personal stylist at E! News.
Seacrest, who is also co-host of ABC television\u2019s daytime talk show \u201cLive with Kelly & Ryan\u201d and producer of \u201cKeeping Up with the Kardashians,\u201d made public the woman\u2019s accusations last November, when he also issued a denial.
E!, a unit of Comcast Corp, conducted an intern alinquiry into her accusations but said in January that it had found insufficient evidence to support her claims.
Seacrest\u2019s lawyer Andrew Baum said on Monday that Variety\u2019s decision to run Hardy\u2019s story was upsetting.
Baum said in a statement that Hardy had previously asked for money to stay silent. \u201cThey (Variety) were told that the accuser threatened to make those false claims against him unless he paid her US$15 million,\u201d he said.
\u201cAt that time, the claimant threatened to issue a demonstrably false press statement unless she was paid. Instead, my client proactively and publicly denied the claims and agreed to fully cooperate with E!\u2019s investigation about the matter.\u201d
ABC did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Monday. Hardy\u2019s lawyer did not reply to a request for comment on Variety\u2019s account.
Hardy\u2019s interview with Variety on Monday marked the first time she was identified and details of her claims were revealed. Hardy, whose employment ended in 2013, said she felt the E! investigation was incomplete and one-sided.
E! said in a statement on Monday that its investigation by an outside lawyer was \u201cextremely comprehensive and thorough\u201d and that \u201cany claims that question the legitimacy of this investigation are completely baseless.\u201d
Talent show \u201cAmerican Idol,\u201d with Seacrest as host, is scheduled to return to television on March 11 on Walt Disney Co\u2019s ABC network after a 14-year run on Fox ended in2016.
Seacrest is the latest celebrity to be accused of sexual misconduct in a scandal that has rocked Hollywood and beyond since October 2017.
\u201cTo have my workplace conduct questioned was gut-wrenching. I\u2019ve always aimed to treat all of my colleagues with honesty, respect, kindness and compassion,\u201d Seacrest, 43, wrote in a February guest column for The Hollywood Reporter.<\/p>\n

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