Julie Chen Expected to Host 'Big Brother' After Moonves's Ouster
*By Max Godnick*
The Les Moonves era is over at CBS. Well ー sort of.
The now-former chief's wife Julie Chen remains the host of both network series "Big Brother" and "The Talk." So even after his resignation as CEO on Sunday, Les Moonves still has a presence at CBS, if only in a spousal sense.
While Chen skipped Monday's season nine premiere of "The Talk" to "be with my family," the veteran newswoman will resume her hosting duties on CBS's long-running "Big Brother" on Thursday evening.
"She's really involved in a lot of the shows on CBS," associate editor of Vulture Jackson McHenry said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar. "She's a recognizable face."
Chen, who married Moonves in 2004, has hosted "Big Brother" since its U.S. debut in 2000; she is longest-tenured host of any of the show's global versions. She has moderated and co-hosted "The Talk" since its premiere in 2010 and helped the show eclipse its rival, ABC's "The View," in the ratings. Before launching the program, Chen anchored and co-hosted the "CBS Morning News," and "CBS This Morning," and "The Early Show."
During Monday's premiere of "The Talk," Chen's co-hosts did address the news of Moonves's departure. Sharon Osbourne said on-air of her former boss: "Obviously the man has a problem." Sheryl Underwood and Sara Gilbert offered their encouragement to Chen during the program, but also urged viewers to take the matter seriously and support Moonves's accusers.
"It feels like they are kind of hedging about how much Julie might know or where her position may fall," McHenry said of Chen's co-hosts.
Did Chen know about her husband's transgressions? McHenry said it's unclear.
"It's very hard to believe that someone as intimately connected both with Les Moonves and with CBS as a company wouldn't hear about this," he said.
Since news broke in July that Moonves and CBS faced sexual harassment and intimidation [allegations](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/06/les-moonves-and-cbs-face-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct) from six women, Chen has only issued one brief [statement](https://twitter.com/JulieChen/status/1022968567728427012) about the claims against her husband. She said she supports his statement that he never abused his position to "harm or hinder anyone's career."
The New Yorker on Sunday published a follow-up piece detailing the accusations of another six victims. Hours later, CBS announced Moonves would exit the company. The matter of his severance is still unresolved, but he stands to make up to $120 million, pending results of an investigation.
As the entertainment community adjusts to handling prominent men accused in the #MeToo era, it must also grapple with the fate of their wives. Chen draws close parallels to Georgina Chapman, Harvey Weinstein's estranged wife and the co-founder of high-end fashion label Marchesa. Much like Chen, Chapman's success has been closely tied to her ex-husband. Marchesa established itself as a red carpet mainstay, frequently worn by actresses closely linked to Weinstein and his projects.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/with-les-moonves-out-what-happens-to-julie-chen-at-cbs).
The EU relaxed its Covid travel restrictions for vaccinated individuals among the union's 27 member states, doing away with testing or quarantine requirements for travelers. This comes soon after the World Health Organization said the omicron variant could help make the pandemic more manageable. The new rules take effect February 1st. Bryce Conway, Founder, 10xTravel joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
If you're in China you may have noticed that the 1999 film "Fight Club" which features Brad Pitt has somehow got itself a new ending. In the new ending on the streaming service Tencent, the narrator is killed and the explosions are replaced with a black screen saying "the police arrested criminals".It's unclear as to exactly why the changes were made. However, it is the latest example of China playing by its own rules when it comes to entertainment and attempting to control everything its citizens watch. Media Reporter at Axios, Sarah Fisher, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Some of Tiktok's biggest stars have a message for the platform: It is time to pay up! As the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, many content creators have been given the opportunity to garner millions of fans and even sometimes billions of views. In 2020, the company launched a creator fund in order to incentivize the platform's users. However, while the group of creators has grown larger, the pool of money has remained the same, and creators are fed up, they claim as Tiktok becomes more successful. Senior Editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Neil Young gave the streaming service Spotify an ultimatum demanding that his music be removed if the Joe Rogan experience remained on the platform. Joe Rogan's platform has been questioned a number of times as a result of some of his takes on covid treatment strategies and at times downright misinformation. Ultimately, Spotify decided to stick with Joe Rogan's podcast. The Director for the Business and Entertainment Program at American University, John Simson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Janet Jackson shared that she had a conversation with Justin Timberlake who had asked her if he should make a statement during the scandal over her Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe malfunction, in her new self-titled Lifetime documentary. The musical icon said that she viewed the incident as an accident and remains "good friends" with Justin Timberlake.
