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A former personal stylist of TV host Ryan Seacrest has alleged that the media personality has harassed and assaulted her while she worked for him.

The woman has been identified as Suzie Hardy who worked for Seacrest as his personal stylist on E!News starting in 2007. The details of the alleged abuse are so harrowing including Seacrest grinding against her with an erect penis and grabbing her vagina. Hardy said the TV host subjected her to years of aggressive sexual misconduct.

The allegations are discussed in a lengthy November letter sent by Hardy’s lawyer to the E! network, its parent company NBC Universal, and Seacrest himself.

Hardy spoke to Variety about her allegations and it marks the first time that the stylist has publicly addressed her ordeal after her work for Seacrest and E! ended in 2013. The allegations, however, first surfaced in November just as the #MeToo movement gained momentum. Seacrest dismissed the accusations at that time as “reckless allegations” and confidently said that E! was investigating the claim.

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The abuses went on for years because Hardy said she feared about losing her job should she speak about Seacrest’s sexual misconduct. Hardy said she felt extra insecure because she came from a freelance life. She said she needed the income from her gig with Seacrest because she was providing for her child. She thought then: “It was a better deal all the way around, even if I was being abused. It’s sick to say, but it was true.”

Hardy shares that Seacrest harassed her as soon as she started working with him as a personal stylist. She opted to remain quiet because of the steady pay from the job. Hardy said that Seacrest’s assistant at that time indicated that the host was romantically interested in her. Hardy says Seacrest’s behavior turned aggressive after that. She recalls an incident in 2007 when Seacrest gave her a “bear hug” in his underwear, and another in 2008 when Hardy groped her crotch. The latter claim was corroborated by a former co-worker of Variety.)

Hardy also narrates how in 2009, Seacrest slapped her behind so hard that it left a red mark- which she took a photo of that time and later provided to E! during the investigation. Hardy also alleges that on that same year, she was helping Seacrest get ready for the Oscars when he flung her on to the bed, “and climbed on top of her, rubbing his erection against her.” The TV host stopped only when Hardy’s co-worker yelled at him.

In 2010, Hardy was dating a high-powered entertainment attorney, and in one instance when she was fixing Seacrest’s tie, she alleged that he asked her if she already had sex with the said lawyer. Hardy said she responded by telling the TV host not to ask her about such stuff, but instead Seacrest allegedly reached down and tightly grabbed her vagina. She ran to the bathroom in tears. A production assistant tried to console her and told her to go to human resources to report the incident. She refused.

Hardy finally managed to report to human resources department in 2013, after it approached her about her relationship with Seacrest. She described Seacrest’s sexual misconduct. Soon after that, E! ended her employment at the network.

Seacrest has repeatedly denied Hardy’s allegations, even after the letter detailing his alleged abuses circulated. Before that, he also wrote an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter where he called the accusations against him “gut-wrenching.”

Seacrest also uses as his defense the results of the independent probe the network ordered which found that there was no sufficient evidence to support Hardy’s allegations.

Source: http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/ryan-seacrest-sexual-abuse-allegations-stylist-details-1202710460/