National Geographic took Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk off its schedule after the astrophysicist was accused of sexual misconduct.
The talk show, which features Tyson talking about science with a special guest, started its fifth season on Nov. 12. After three weeks, Nat Geo stopped airing it. On Thursday, the network said it was pulled from the schedule until an investigation into the allegations is complete.
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“In order to allow the investigation to occur unimpeded we chose to hold new episodes of StarTalk until it is complete,” a Nat Geo representative told Variety. “We expect that to happen in the next few weeks at which time we’ll make a final decision.”
Nat Geo ordered 20 episodes for the show’s fifth season. The last episode aired on Nov. 26, and the first three episodes are available on Nat Geo’s website.
Tyson was also set to host Cosmos: Possible Worlds, a new season of the Cosmos revival Tyson has been hosting since 2014. The show is scheduled to start on Fox on Sunday, March 3 and on Nat Geo the following day. The series was envisioned as a global event, and is scheduled to debut in 172 countries and 43 languages, according to Variety. It would require a complete overhaul to replace Tyson, since he also appears on camera in the show.
In late November, two women came forward with misconduct allegations against Tyson in interviews with Patheos. Dr. Katelyn N. Allers, a professor at Bucknell University, accused Tyson of misconduct during an American Astronomical Society after party in 2009. Ashley Watson, a former Tyson assistant, claimed she quit the job because he made “inappropriate sexual advances.”
Musician Tychiya Amet accused Tyson of drugging and raping her when they were students at the University of Texas in Austin during the 1980s in a 2014 blog post. In early December, an anonymous accuser came forward in a BuzzFeed News report, accusing Tyson of propositioning her for sex at an American Museum of Natural History party in 2010.
Tyson, 60, denied the allegations in a long Facebook post on Dec. 1, but also welcomed an investigation.
“Accusations can damage a reputation and a marriage. Sometimes irreversibly,” he wrote. “I see myself as loving husband and as a public servant – a scientist and educator who serves at the will of the public. I am grateful for the support I’ve received from those who continue to respect and value me and my work.”
“The credo at the heart of COSMOS is to follow the evidence wherever it leads,” Nat Geo said in a previous statement on Nov. 30. “The producers of COSMOS can do no less in this situation. We are committed to a thorough investigation of this matter and to act accordingly as soon as it is concluded.”
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