Neil deGrasse Tyson returns to Nat Geo following misconduct investigation

StarTalk host Neil deGrasse Tyson will return to Nat Geo following an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.

Nat Geo has reportedly completed an investigation into the presenter and has cleared chat show StarTalk to return to air; however, the Fox-owned network has not shared any details into findings from the investigation.

“StarTalk will return to the air with the remaining 13 episodes in April on National Geographic, and both Fox and National Geographic are committed to finding an air date for Cosmos,” the network said in a statement, adding that there will be no further comment.

Nat Geo pulled StarTalk off the air in December following multiple sexual misconduct allegations against presenter deGrasse Tyson.

StarTalk, which finds Tyson discussing science and technology with comedians and celebrities such as Big Bang Theory actor Simon Helberg and UFC commentator Joe Rogan, returned for its fifth, 20-episode series in November. It aired only three episodes when allegations against Tyson came about later that month, with Bucknell University’s Dr. Katelyn N. Allers claiming that Tyson groped her at a 2009 American Astronomical Society event.

Meanwhile, Tyson’s former assistant, Ashley Watson, also came forward, alleging that the presenter made a number of inappropriate sexual advances towards her.

Musician Tchiya Amet also spoke publicly against Tyson in early 2016, alleging that he had drugged and raped her in the early 1980s when they were both graduate students at the University of Texas Austin.

Cosmos was meant to air earlier this month on both Fox and Nat Geo as well as the latter’s international channels, but had to be rescheduled following the investigation into deGrasse Tyson, who narrates the programme, and appears on-screen throughout. It will now air at a later date.

Nat Geo and Fox released a joint statement in November 2018 when new allegations first emerged against the presenter: “We have only just become aware of the recent allegations regarding Neil deGrasse Tyson. We take these matters very seriously and we are reviewing the recent reports.”

On his Facebook page, Tyson posted a lengthy note on 1 December titled “On Being Accused”, where he details his account of each incident. He wrote at the time: “In any claim, evidence matters. Evidence always matters. But what happens when it’s just one person’s word against another’s, and the stories don’t agree? That’s when people tend to pass judgment on who is more credible than whom. And that’s when an impartial investigation can best serve the truth – and would have my full cooperation to do so.”