Ryan Seacrest and his former stylist engaged in a bitter volley of accusations Tuesday: She detailed her sexual misconduct allegations against him, he says they were investigated and found unsubstantiated, and then he accused her of trying to extort him for millions to drop her claims.
Not pretty. Also not coincidental: The battle of words comes just days before Seacrest is to co-host E! network's annual Oscars red carpet show on Sunday, and just two weeks before he hosts the return of American Idol on ABC March 11.
It also comes as Seacrest continues to co-host, with Kelly Ripa, their syndicated morning show Live with Kelly and Ryan. On Tuesday, this latest exchange of accusations went unmentioned by either Seacrest or Ripa.
But by Tuesday afternoon, Seacrest responded to his accuser, his former stylist Suzie Hardy.
"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 in a statement emailed to USA TODAY via his rep, Kelly Mullens Brown. "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."
Howard King, attorney for Hardy, has denied she sought money from Seacrest. Her lawyer did not immediately return a call from USA TODAY seeking a response to Seacrest's statement Tuesday.
On Monday, one month after E! concluded its investigation into the allegations against Seacrest, Hardy detailed graphic allegations against the TV host in a Variety story.
According to Variety's report,Hardy, a single mother who worked as Seacrest’s personal stylist for E! News in 2007, was subjected to unwanted touching by the talk show host. Variety cites claims from a November letter from Hardy’s attorney, which were addressed to E! and obtained by the outlet.
The story alleges that "Seacrest subjected Hardy to years of unwanted sexual aggression — grinding his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear, groping her vagina, and at one point slapping her buttock so hard that it left a large welt still visible hours later."
Hardy claimed the most egregious offense happened in 2010 on the set of E! News, when Seacrest allegedly asked Hardy, "Have you (expletive) him yet?” about a new boyfriend, and when Hardy rebuffed his question, Seacrest allegedly reached over and grabbed her vagina.
Hardy told Variety that she endured the abuse for years before reporting Seacrest's actions to human resources and, two weeks later, was told that her employment at E! News had ended.
“I was very proud to say ‘No, I don’t (have a physical relationship with Seacrest),’ ” she said. “I never touched him, I never kissed him, I never (had sex with) him, nothing. But I said, ‘But he touched me.’ ”
On Tuesday Seacrest reiterated his earlier denials of Hardy's allegations, said he supported the Me Too movement to call out workplace misconduct and insisted he had been "cleared" of any misconduct himself.
"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," his statement said. "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."
Seacrest criticized Variety for publishing a "salacious story" even though an independent 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," Seacrest said.
On Monday night, Seacrest's lawyer Andrew Baum, issued a statement criticizing Variety for publishing its story even after it was told that Hardy "threatened" to make false claims against him unless he paid her $15 million. "At that time, the claimant threatened to issue a demonstrably false press statement unless she was paid," Baum's statement said.
Baum said "it’s telling" that after Seacrest refused to pay her, and after the E! investigation concluded, "she is now coming forward to share her debunked story to the press.”
Last week E! confirmed Hardy's allegations could not be substantiated.
"E! has now concluded the investigation into allegations regarding Ryan Seacrest," the cable network said in a statement released last week. "The investigation, conducted by outside counsel, found insufficient evidence to substantiate allegations against Seacrest."
Seacrest first disclosed he had been accused, although he didn't use Hardy's name, in a statement to USA TODAY in November. "Recently, someone that worked as a wardrobe stylist for me nearly a decade ago at E! News, came forward with a complaint suggesting I behaved inappropriately toward her."
He added, “If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry. I dispute these reckless allegations and I plan to cooperate with any corporate inquiries that may result. I treat all my colleagues with kindness, dignity, and understanding, as this is a principle that’s core to who I am.
