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For nearly four years, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has invited celebs to sit and chat about science on the late night show StarTalk. This week, Nat Geo confirmed that they’re putting the show on hold as they look into claims of sexual harassment and abuse against Tyson.



The show, which just entered its fifth season, was placed on hiatus late last year, Variety reports, with the channel confirming Thursday that new episodes won’t be aired until their investigation is done.

“We expect that to happen in the next few weeks at which time we’ll make a final decision,” a rep for Nat Geo told Variety.


Multiple women came forward late last year accusing Tyson of various forms of harassment and abuse. He’s been accused of groping Dr. Katelyn N. Allers at an event in 2009, and most recently, former assistant for his show Cosmos accused him of making multiple unwanted sexual advances toward her. Tyson’s assistant, Ashley Watson, said she ended up quitting the show because of his behavior.

But the most serious claim against Tyson dates back to his time as a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, where musician Tchiya Amet El Maat says Tyson raped her.


All the allegations were originally detailed in a post on Patheos in November 2018. Tyson responded in a lengthy Facebook post a few days later, denying the rape allegation and characterizing his interactions with Watson and Allers as innocent. He also apologized for making Watson feel uncomfortable and offered his full cooperation with an “impartial investigation.”


The upcoming StarTalk season featured a number of prominent guests, including former Vice President Al Gore, Jeff Goldblum, and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.