Julie Chen Officially Steps Down from The Talk (VIDEO)

I recently asked on twitter if Julie Chen would leave CBS in the wake of her husband, Leslie Moonves being ousted as the CEO of the network. After a piece by Ronan Farrow in the New Yorker highlighted stories from women claiming sexual harassment/assault at the hands of the network chief, Chen has stood by her husband. It’s hard to imagine her back at The Talk chatting about #MeToo with the rest of the ladies.

So, unsurprisingly, Chen officially stepped down from The Talk on Tuesday via a pre-recorded message which aired in the final minutes of the show. Chen has been absent from The Talk since the news broke. “I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son, so I’ve decided to leave ‘The Talk,'” she said, not addressing the allegations against her husband directly.

During the emotional clip, she thanked producers, each one of her co hosts, the backstage crew and fans. “I have been at ‘The Talk’ since the day it started nine years ago, and the cast crew and staff have become family to me over the years,” she said.

Chen added, “I will always, always cherish the memories we shared. Most important, I want to thank you, the viewers, for allowing me into your home every day. It was a privilege that I will forever be grateful for.”

After the clip aired co-host and producer Sara Gilbert said, “We thank you for eight years of dear friendship and all you did to help the success of the show.”

CBS issued a statement: “For eight seasons, Julie Chen has co-hosted ‘The Talk’ with incredible energy, grace and professionalism. Her talents played a big role in our successful launch of CBS’ first network daytime talk show, and in the series growth into an Emmy Award-winning broadcast. All of us here have tremendous appreciation for the dedication and passion she brought to the show every day and for her generous role as an ambassador for CBS Daytime. We are grateful for her many other contributions, respect her decision and wish Julie all the best in everything she does.”

Chen will continue on as host of Big Brother. The finale airs next week, and I suspect after the season wraps, Chen will bow out of that gig as well. When signing off of Big Brother’s live show last Thursday, Chen used her married name for the first time ever. In solidarity with her husband, I expect she’ll eventually sever ties with the network completely.

Watch Julie Chen say goodbye to The Talk below: