Kelly Ripa voiced her support for her co-host Ryan Seacrest Thursday following a newly revealed claim of sexual misconduct by his former stylist.
“I can’t wait. I cannot wait to see you there [at the Oscars] and Jimmy Kimmel,” Ripa shared during “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” as the two talked about doing their annual after-Oscars show. “I am very, very excited.”
“And I just want you to know, you are a privilege to work with and I adore you,” she continued. “And I’m speaking on behalf of all of us here. I know what an easy professional, great person you are, and I feel very, very lucky to work with you each and every day. You are happiness wrapped in chocolate, so there.”
After the comments the two hosts hugged.
The public show of support comes following comments made by Seacrest’s former stylist Suzie Hardy who said the ABC talk show host was not a “victim,” and alleged she suffered “years of unwanted sexual aggression” from him in a Variety article on Monday.
The accusations by Hardy first came to light in November when the talk show host made a public statement disputing “reckless allegations.”
Last month, E! News issued a statement that their investigation found “insufficient” evidence to support the claims against him.
On Wednesday, the network hit back at claims that its investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the talk show host wasn’t legitimate.
“E!’s investigation was extremely comprehensive and thorough,” an E! spokesperson shared in a statement to Deadline. “The investigator is an attorney with nearly 20 years experience and is highly regarded professionally. Any claims that question the legitimacy of this investigation are completely baseless.”
Seacrest will still host E! network’s red carpet show Sunday ahead of the 90th Academy Awards.