AMC clears Chris Hardwick to return to 'Talking Dead' after sexual assault claims

Jayme Deerwester | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Chris Hardwick reinstated by AMC for Talking Dead Chris Hardwick will get to keep talking on AMC. The host has been reinstated for Talking Dead by the network effective on Aug. 12 after the midseason premiere of Fear the Walking Dead.

AMC has cleared "Talking Dead" host Chris Hardwick to return to the show on Aug. 12.

The network's decision comes six weeks after the network pulled him off the air pending an investigation of abuse allegations made by former girlfriend Chloe Dykstra.

"Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan Bierman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of 'Talking Dead' and 'Talking with Chris Hardwick,' " the network said in a statement to USA TODAY Wednesday. "We take these matters very seriously and given the information available to us after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step."

"Community" actress Yvette Nicole Brown, who filled in while Hardwick was sidelined, will host the "Walking Dead" Season 9 preview, airing Aug. 5 and then appear as a guest when Hardwick takes back the reins for the midseason premiere the following week.

Hardwick, 46, has acknowledged that an online post by Dykstra alleging she had been sexually assaulted and emotionally abused referred to him. He denied the allegations but said the couple's three-year relationship was imperfect and included arguments.

When NBC was asked how they would handle the Hardwick allegations last month, the network told Deadline that his game show "The Wall" was not due to resume production until September. In the meantime, they said they would "assess the situation and will take appropriate action based on the outcome."

Dykstra has not commented on news that Hardwick has been cleared.