Update: Ryan Seacrest's attorney, Andrew Baum, sent Refinery29 the following statement in response to Suzie Hardy's claims in an op-ed featured in The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday:
"After Mr. Seacrest denied each and every one of Ms. Hardy's decade old claims, after Mr. Seacrest refused to pay Ms. Hardy any money whatsoever, and after an independent legal investigation did not support her claims, Ms. Hardy went to the press attacking the legitimacy of the investigation. Now, after being refused money and unhappy with the independent legal investigation, Ms. Hardy now claims to have spoken to the authorities. We will continue to cooperate and we remain confident that Mr. Seacrest will once again be cleared of any wrongdoing."
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This story was originally published on Thursday, March 29 at 3:24 p.m. EST.
Suzie Hardy, Ryan Seacrest's former stylist and the woman who accused him of sexual harassment and assault, penned an emotional op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter in which she calls out Hollywood for supporting the TV and radio personality during the #MeToo movement.
Hardy has alleged that Seacrest made numerous unwanted physical and verbal advances towards her "for years." At one point, she said that he even grabbed her crotch and made her cry while at work. She eventually told E! about the alleged ongoing incidents in 2012, and has since claimed that the network responded by letting her go.
Hardy later decided to share her story after witnessing dozens of women come forward with their own harrowing experiences. But, unlike the women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, Hardy said she didn't feel supported or heard.
"I finally said 'enough is enough' and went public with my name and the ugly details of what I endured. And then ... nothing," she wrote. "Sure, some celebrities avoided Ryan on the red carpet at the Oscars, and his ratings were way down. But the silence since then has been deafening. Ryan continues to cheerfully co-host Live With Kelly and Ryan each morning with Kelly Ripa's full support. He's the smiling host of American Idol twice a week on ABC. And E! continues to back him."
Seacrest has denied the allegations and wrote in a guest column for THR that "to have my workplace conduct questioned was gut-wrenching." He also asserted that he continues to be "amazed" by the courage survivors have shown when coming forward with their #MeToo stories.
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E! issued a statement to Refinery29 last month claiming that their "investigation was extremely comprehensive and thorough" and involved numerous interviews and meetings.
"The investigator is an attorney with nearly 20 years experience and is highly regarded professionally. Any claims that question the legitimacy of this investigation are completely baseless," the concluded.
Still, E!'s decision to implement a 30-second delay for all of Seacrest's Oscars red carpet interview coverage raised eyebrows from people who thought they were going too far to protect an accused predator from criticism. Though, it's not like they needed to worry much since so many celebs were oddly pleasant to Seacrest during their interviews.
"So much for 'Let's believe the women,' right? Unless you're the president of the United States or a TV cash cow, apparently," Hardy continued. "Those who work with Ryan seem to hope I will just go away. Well, I'm not going away. I'm thriving in the truth and feel more inspired than ever."
Hardy has filed a police report with the LAPD and expects a "real investigation."
You can read Hardy's full op-ed here.