Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Julie Chen Moonves has not publicly offered a definitive account of every reason her marriage endured. Her public explanation has centered on loyalty and her confidence that she knew her husband: in 2018 she said she stood by him, and in 2023 she recalled telling their son that reports about the family were false. Those statements describe Chen’s position; they do not establish the truth or falsity of the allegations against Les Moonves.
What Julie Chen Moonves said about standing by her husband
After allegations of sexual misconduct against Les Moonves became public in July 2018, Chen issued a statement praising him as “a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader” and saying, “I fully support my husband and stand behind him.” ABC News reproduced the statement and reported that Moonves denied misusing his position. He said: “Untrue allegations from decades ago are now being made against me that are not consistent with who I am.” ABC News, September 18, 2018.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Moonwalk: A Memoir | $23.38 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir | $17.22 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Love, Pamela: A Moving Celebrity Memoir about Reclaiming Your Narrative | $9.85 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir | $10.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography | $9.44 | Buy on Amazon |
Chen later told viewers of The Talk that the statement was her only comment on the allegations and that she stood by it. In September 2018, after Moonves left CBS, she announced she was leaving the show. Her on-air explanation was that she needed to spend more time at home; in a 2023 interview, she said leaving was not her decision and described that period as hard, saying she felt stabbed in the back. Those circumstances help explain the public moment, but they do not amount to a full account of her private reasons for remaining married.
What Chen added in 2023
In a 2023 interview with ABC News journalist Juju Chang, Chen said she and Moonves had discussed the allegations and recalled, “I know my husband.” She also described what she told their son: “I told him there were reports that were false about our family. I kept it simple.” The Los Angeles Times reported these as Chen’s statements, not as independently verified findings about the allegations. When asked about the allegations in that interview, Chen redirected the conversation, saying, “That’s not what we’re here to talk about,” because she wanted to focus on her memoir, But First, God. Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2023.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
What the public record can—and cannot—explain
Chen’s statements support a limited answer to why she stayed: publicly, she expressed loyalty to Moonves and said she trusted her own knowledge of him. They do not reveal the couple’s complete private reasoning, nor do they prove that these were the only factors in the marriage’s continuation.
The allegations and responses should also be kept distinct. ABC News reported that the initial 2018 account described allegations from six women employed by CBS; that count reflects the reporting, not a finding that every allegation was adjudicated. Moonves denied using his position to harm women’s careers. Separately, a 2022 New York Attorney General document contains findings concerning Moonves’s conduct and CBS’s handling of reports. That institutional record provides context, but it does not establish Chen’s personal motivation for remaining married. New York State Office of the Attorney General, executed Assurance of Discontinuance, October 28, 2022.
Rank #2
Her 2018 public gestures of support
Chen and Moonves married in 2004. In September 2018, after Moonves left CBS, Chen used the Moonves name in her Big Brother sign-off. The New Yorker described the gesture as part of the public meaning of a wife’s loyalty; that is cultural commentary, not evidence of the couple’s private motives. The New Yorker, September 24, 2018.
Her departure from The Talk followed shortly after Moonves’s CBS exit, but the two departures were separate events. Chen initially said she needed more time at home; in 2023, she said leaving the program had not been her choice. Neither statement, on its own, explains the marriage’s private history.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches
