Julie Chen Leaving ‘The Talk’ After Husband Les Moonves Exits CBS

Julie Chen is stepping down from “The Talk” on CBS, one week after her husband Les Moonves left the CBS Corporation under pressure.

A date for her exit hasn’t been set yet, the insider said, but sources speculate she’ll step down in the next couple of weeks.

When The New Yorker first reported the bombshell allegations in July, Chen said, “Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being. I fully support my husband and stand behind him.”

“She has decided that her main focus needs to be clearing her husband’s name from accusations made 25-30 years ago and tending to her son,” one of the sources said.

The sources said she will continue to host the CBS reality show “Big Brother.”

Moonves denied the allegations and asserted that it was all part of a “concerted effort” to take him down. On the day he left CBS, he said “untrue allegations from decades ago are now being made against me that are not consistent with who I am.”

Moonves’ allies portrayed his stunning departure as the result of a corporate battle between Moonves and CBS’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone.

But it was widely viewed as a result of the harassment and assault allegations detailed in Farrow’s stories.

Chen took some time off from “The Talk” when Moonves’ departure was announced. On the show, her fellow co-hosts reacted to the news. It seemed unlikely that she would return to the set, given the obvious tension that would exist every time the hosts discussed the #MeToo movement.

When Chen did not appear on Monday’s episode, speculation increased about her exit.

By signing off through a videotaped message, Chen will sidestep any awkward conversations with her longtime co-hosts.

(Excerpts) Read More at: CNN.com and PageSix.com