Julie Chen felt 'stabbed in the back' over 'The Talk' exit: Not my decision

May 2024 · 3 minute read

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Signing off — without loving each other.

“Big Brother” host Julie Chen Moonves didn’t have a say about her exit from “The Talk” in 2018, claiming that CBS had the final call.

“That was a hard time,” Chen Moonves, 53, told “Good Morning America” on Monday, while promoting her new audio memoir, “But First, God.”

She continued: “I felt stabbed in the back. I was, you know.”

The TV personality moderated the daytime talk show for eight years before leaving in September 2018.

The move came just days after her husband, Les Moonves, stepped down as chief executive of the network amid allegations of sexual misconduct from more than a dozen women, which he’s denied.

“Right now, I need to spend more time at home with my husband and young son,” Chen Moonves told “The Talk” audience at the time. “I know this show, and the sisterhood it stands for, will live on for many, many, many more years to come. You ladies got this, and I cannot be more proud to call you my friends.”

The Post has reached out to CBS for comment.

Julie Chen Moonves said she felt “stabbed in the back” over her departure from the show “The Talk.” Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images
The “Big Brother” host left the show just days after her husband Les Moonves stepped down as the CEO of CBS. Photo by Michael Kovac/WireImage

“But First, God” will dive deeper into how Chen Moonves embarked on a spiritual journey following the scandal.

“Julie Chen before she found God was self-absorbed, career-minded, vain, gossipy — fun to be with, but probably kind of a shallow person,” she continued on “GMA” Monday. “Julie Chen Moonves, who now knows the Lord, is someone who wants to help others; who wants to look at everyone with a soft heart.”

After her husband’s fallout, she also began to introduce herself as “Julie Chen Moonves” instead of just “Julie Chen” during her hosting duties on “Big Brother.”

Earlier this summer, she kicked off the show’s milestone 25th season — and often ends each episode with a line such as “love one another.”

Chen Moonves told “GMA” that her departure amid her husband’s scandal was a “hard time.” Photo by Mike Pont/WireImage
Chen said at the time she was leaving the show to “spend more time at home with my husband and young son.” CBS
Les Moonves left CSB after being accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Chen Moonves was initially replaced by “Dancing with the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

“The Talk,” which debuted in 2010, is currently co-hosted by Jerry O’Connell, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales and Sheryl Underwood.

The show has pushed back its return amid the writers’ strike and following Drew Barrymore’s decision to pause her own talk show amid backlash that she initially planned to move forward.

“‘The Talk’ is pausing its season premiere scheduled for September 18. We will continue to evaluate plans for a new launch date,” a spokesperson for CBS said in a statement.

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