The music producer released a statement on Wednesday explaining his departure from the Fox reality show.
Charlie Walk is officially out of The Four.
The music producer and president of Republic Records Group released a statement about his departure from the singing competition show on Wednesday night amid sexual harassment allegations against him.
“Out of respect for the contestants, my fellow judges and everyone involved with the show, I have made the decision not to attend the finale of The Four," Walk expressed in a statement given to ET by his attorney, Patricia Glaser. "I do not want my presence to be a distraction. Needless to say this is very upsetting. Although I continue to support the Me Too movement, there has been an extreme rush to judgment against me in this particular case which is unfair and inconsistent with anything that even actually happened. I welcome any investigation so that in short order these unfounded and hurtful accusations can be put to rest.”
Walk was accused by Life Lab founder Tristan Coopersmith of alleged sexual harassment while she worked for him in the past. In a statement to ET, Walk denied the allegations and said that there had never been a single HR claim against him during his career. On Wednesday, Republic Records told ET in a statement that Walk has been placed on leave.
Meanwhile, ET spoke with Coopersmith on Wednesday about her decision to go public with her sexual harassment allegation. Coopersmith claims Walk allegedly made "lewd comments" about her body, shared his sexual fantasies with her and inappropriately touched her. Coopersmith, who wrote that she was 27 years old at the time, also alleged that he once drunkenly pushed her onto his bed in his bedroom at his home.
"I didn't know how to deal with it," she shared. "I consider myself a kid back then. ... So, I mostly just laughed it off and I would try and correct him and, you know, like, 'Hey, Charlie. You have a wife, man. Come on.' You know? But I would sort of laugh it off, 'cause that's all I knew how to do."
Hear more of what Coopersmith had to say, in the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
