“Blindspot” star Jaimie Alexander is defending her pal Chris Hardwick from the sexual assault allegations made by his ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra.
On Thursday, Alexander tweeted a Change.org petition to bring Hardwick back to TV after his show “Talking with Chris Hardwick” was pulled from AMC’s lineup following the accusations. (Hardwick’s “Talking Dead” series has not officially been axed by AMC, but its presence on the network’s site has dramatically decreased.)
“‘Talking Dead’ Fans! ‘Walking Dead’ Fans! ‘Fear’ Fans!: Bring [back] Chris Hardwick! – Sign the petition,” Alexander wrote.
When followers reminded her of the allegations leveled against the 46-year-old Nerdist founder earlier this month, Alexander doubled down on her support.
“Guys – I’ve [known] Chris Hardwick for over 10 years,” Alexander, 34, wrote. “I knew him through his breakup with said accuser. With the personal knowledge I have regarding this situation I am choosing to follow my heart, my instincts, and support my friend.”
Alexander also retweeted a message from Hardwick’s wife, Lydia Hearst, who compiled a list of reports about other Hardwick defenders, including herself and his ex-girlfriends Andrea Savage and Jacinda Barrett, along with a link to the petition.
As of 11:40 a.m. Friday, the petition had more than 13,000 signatures.
In June, without naming names, Hardwick’s ex Dykstra accused an ex-boyfriend — whose description matches Hardwick’s — of mistreating her when they dated, alleging that he wouldn’t allow her to interact with male friends and that she “was expected to be [sexually] ready for him when he came home from work.”
Hardwick vehemently denied the allegations, saying in a statement, “I was heartbroken to read Chloe’s post. Our three year relationship was not perfect — we were ultimately not a good match and argued — even shouted at each other — but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.”