STUDIO CITY (NEWS 8) - Julie Chen, wife of former CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves, confirmed Tuesday that she is walking away from her role as a co-host of the network's daytime talk show "The Talk."
"I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son, so I've decided to leave `The Talk,"' Chen said in a videotaped message that was aired on the show Tuesday.
She said she will "always cherish the memories we shared."
"I know this show and the sisterhood it stands for will continue for many years to come," Chen said.
Chen has not appeared on "The Talk" since Moonves resigned as chairman and CEO of CBS on Sept. 9, following a report in the New Yorker magazine detailing six women's allegations of sexual harassment involving him in the 1980s and 1990s. Moonves has denied any wrongdoing.
Analyst and women's rights advocate Laura Fink said she is not surprised Chen is standing by her husband. "We see that with high profile perpetrators. Camille Cosby staying with Bill Cosby. Elizabeth Ailes staying with Roger Ailes in the face of unspeakable crimes. She really is looking a part of who she is and was for a decade."
Chen is expected to remain as host of the CBS prime-time alternative series "Big Brother." The current season of that show ends Sept. 26.
CBS issued a statement praising Chen's eight seasons on "The Talk."
"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," according to the network. "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."
"often it is hard to hold two conflicting thoughts in your head at the same time. It is hard to accept that someone you know as a loving father is also someone who is a sexual predator," said Fink.
Fink points out that while Chen supports her husband now, "that could change. Julie Chen, as the evidence amounts, could come to the realization that these facts are overwhelming."
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