Neil deGrasse Tyson returns to TV after sexual assault investigation

The National Geographic Channel announces they will resume airing episodes of Cosmos and StarTalk

The National Geographic Channel announced that they'd completed their investigation into the allegations against Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and will resume airing episodes of Cosmos and StarTalk.

Soraya Joseph

Mar 16, 2019

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Acclaimed astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson will return to the small screen following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him.

The National Geographic Channel recently announced in a statement that they’d completed their investigation into the allegations against the 60-year-old host and will resume airing episodes of Cosmos and StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Back in November, StarTalk returned to Nat Geo for its fifth season, but only three episodes out of a 20-episode order made it on air.

“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. With regard to the allegations against Tyson, the channel did not give any details about the investigation. “There will be no further comment,” the statement concluded.

Cosmos: Possible Worlds and StarTalk have been in production purgatory for months since Nat Geo launched an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct brought against the famed astrophysicist.

Fox had originally scheduled the new season of Cosmos to premiere on Sunday, March 3, while Nat Geo had slated a second window to begin on Monday, March 4. Both networks later halted those plans following the controversy surrounding Tyson.

Cosmo‘s official Twitter feed hasn’t posted since early November, opting not to address the investigation or accusations.

National Geographic opened an investigation into Tyson after reports that two women had accused Tyson of inappropriate behavior: Bucknell University’s Dr. Katelyn N. Allers claimed Tyson groped her at an event in 2009, while a former assistant, Ashley Watson, said Tyson made inappropriate sexual advances toward her on more than one occasion. The allegations were originally posted on Patheos.

This wasn’t the first time Tyson had been accused of misconduct; musician Tchiya Amet claimed that Tyson raped her when they were both graduate students in 1984, during an exclusive interview with Patheos.

Late last year, both the Fox network and National Geographic released a joint statement: “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.”

Back in December, the show’s producers, which include Druyan’s Cosmos Studios and MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Productions, said in a statement they “are committed to a thorough investigation of this matter and to act accordingly as soon as it is concluded.”