Chris Hardwick Tears Up During Talking Dead Return

Chris Hardwick returned to Talking Dead for last night’s episode, his first since he was accused of sexual and emotional abuse by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra. He was initially fired from the show but after AMC conducted an internal investigation, they brought him back.

Hardwick said (via The Huffington Post): “I really just want to take a minute, and I want to say that I am so appreciative to be standing here right now. And I want to thank you, the “Walking Dead” community, for all of your support these last couple of months. You know, this show is not just a job to me. This is a vital part of my life, you know. This has been a sanctuary, these last seven years we’ve been here. This has been with me through good times and bad times, and I have so much gratitude to you, the fans and the producers and the amazing casts of both of these shows, for allowing me to come here and be a part of this community every week. This is what this is. This is a community, and we’re along the precipice of a lot of changes on both “Walking Dead” shows in the coming weeks and months, and I am so looking forward to going on that journey with you, and I’ve said the following words a million times, countless times, and that I’ve never been more thankful than I am in this very moment, to say to you that I am Chris Hardwick, and this is “Talking Dead.””

He also teared up during the broadcast and praised Yvette Nicole Brown, who took over for pre-taped segments and was initially set to be his replacement before he was reinstated.

Chris Hardwick's return to TV included tears, rousing applause from the #TalkingDead audience, and a hug from Yvette Nicole Brown pic.twitter.com/cKTBIFbmh6

— Jillian Sederholm (@JillianSed) August 13, 2018

Dykstra, who wasn’t part of AMC’s investigation, recently noted that she still stands by her story, which she wrote for an article on Medium back in June. She wrote:

Hey dudes. Just a reminder: I 100% stand by every single word of my essay. I made sure it was unembellished, factual, and that I had evidence to back it up in order to protect myself in case of ACTUAL litigation (not a network investigation, where I’m not protected). That is all.

— Chloe Dykstra (@skydart) August 10, 2018