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Chris Hardwick’s Former Employees Confirm He’s Kind of an Asshole

The drama surrounding professional star-fucker Chris Hardwick and professional Chris Hardwick dater Chloe Dykstra hasn’t died down despite my earnest hope that this story would go the way of their respective careers. Earlier this week, TMZ released a text exchange between the couple that was apparently meant to exonerate Hardwick but only served to make him seem even more insufferable, if such a thing is possible.

Hardwick basically wrote an entire novel to Dykstra telling her that he was heartbroken, he was ending their relationship and he didn’t want to ever talk to her again, essentially. He just did it in the most long-winded way possible and it does kind of make him look like a crazy person.

The Wrap talked to some of Hardwick’s former employees who verified that yes, Chris Hardwick is, in fact, kind of an asshole and a star-fucker. As if that wasn’t clear from listening to his podcast when he dressed down Jonah Ray or Matt Mira for not kissing his ass enough.

“She’s not writing about a complete stranger there, I could recognize him through the details,” said a producer who has worked with Hardwick in the past. “He’s an alcoholic who replaced his alcoholism with workaholism, and that may have led to just as bad a side effect for people. He wasn’t going out and getting drunk and insulting people, but he was concentrating on the work and building up his empire, not concentrating on how that affected people.”

“I have no reason to think he would be violent, but everything else she says, the way she describes his behavior, sounds like things about him that I absolutely do know to be true,” said another acquaintance of Hardwick’s in the TV industry. “It absolutely rings true.”

[…]

“If you’re in the room talking to him, you could have a great conversation, but if someone walks in with a higher Q rating, he’s going to stop talking to you, not apologize and walk over to that person,” the producer said. “It’s the Hollywood suck-up type of lifestyle, but that’s kind of just the way talk show hosts have to be … I can see a lot of people not liking him because of that, but I’m sure Tom Cruise likes him.”

Hardwick’s (probably former, I’d assume) cohosts on ID10T, previously The Nerdist, seemed to not know what to say but to lean more towards believing Dykstra than Hardwick in all of this in their statements.

More surprising is the reaction from Wil Wheaton, who has the honor of not only being the worst character on Star Trek: The Next Generation (and no, I don’t forget about Doctor Pulaski) and the worst character on The Big Bang Theory (and no, I haven’t forgotten about everyone on that show except for Kaley Cuoco). Wheaton is really big on proclaiming himself to be a male feminist and inserting himself into all sorts of conversations about various social issues, but he’s been entirely radio silent on this one.

I actually think Wil Wheaton’s approach here is the best one to take. Everyone has already made up their mind. You’re probably reading this thinking that either Chrs Hardwick is an abuser and should never work again or Chloe Dykstra is a liar trying to settle a score with a guy she cheated on who dumped her. And all commenting on it is going to do is to get the people who don’t agree with you to be mad at you, too, and lump you in with the person they don’t like.

When relationships end, I don’t think either person’s story is 100% gospel and I don’t think either person’s story is 100% false. Think about any relationship you’ve been in that ended badly and how you and your ex describe each other to other people and you’ll understand why I don’t just take anything someone says about their ex at face value.

I don’t know if Chris Hardwick was actually abusive to Chloe Dykstra. I don’t even know if you and I would define emotional abuse the same way. I will tell you I have no trouble believing Chris Hardwick was an asshole to Chloe Dykstra. I don’t think she’s lying, but I also don’t know if her feelings about the situation and the objective reality of what happened are the same. If you’ve ever seen the movie Rashomon, and you should because it’s amazing, it illustrates how everyone’s testimony of an event is different, and even the impartial observer’s account ends up being biased to his own ends.

[Image: Gage Skidmore]

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yo yo
yo yo
5 years ago

agreed. i believe he was an ass to her but at the same time she’s a ‘daddy issues’ bitch and those are the worst kind so her perceptions of what really happened i believe are hella skewed. total bullshit that all it takes is an online statement to derail someone’s lifelong dream career though. f**k the witch hunting cunts using the #metoo movement for their own agendas.

guest with self respect :D
guest with self respect :D
5 years ago
Reply to  yo yo

I guess now that you’ve called women ‘cunts’ and called Chloe (who you don’t know) a ‘daddy’s issues bitch’ you’ll understand if I dismiss you as a misogynistic idiot. Imagine being so in love with some fake nerd with a podcast that you’ll happily spout sexist abuse at a victim. He’s never going to f**k you bud, or be your best friend. He’s literally a fame whore who licks up to anyone with more status than him and who married for money. All those things I’m sure you accuse women of doing/being. How embarrassing that your hero is such a… Read more »

Rev
Rev
5 years ago

You a fan of cunts with daddy issues, eh?

guest with self respect :D
guest with self respect :D
5 years ago
Reply to  Rev

Ooh there’s that misogyny rearing it’s head again. It’s as though you can’t control it. No wonder you’re so worried by the #MeToo movement. You certainly give off the vibe of someone who has abused a woman. You certainly don’t seem to respect them and it’s an awfully slippery slope. Hope you’re in therapy (or signing up soon), bro.

Opiumbrella
Opiumbrella
5 years ago

This guy is a mysogenistic ass hat. But forgetting completely about him, as not only a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking, but also having my life torn apart again by false accusations of sexual assault,( my cousin was so ducked off he left his infant tied to a bouncy seat in a house alone, my husband and I took her in, and were going to adopt her, the grandmother of the child, my aunt, was pissed because they wouldn’t give her the baby because she was all fucked off too, so she called DHS and told… Read more »