Neil deGrasse Tyson Responds to Sexual Misconduct Accusations: ‘I Cannot Continue to Stay Silent’

On Saturday, Neil deGrasse Tyson responded to reports that Fox and Cosmos producers were investing allegations of sexual misconduct against him in a lengthy Facebook post.

“For a variety of reasons, most justified, some unjustified, men accused of sexual impropriety in today’s ‘me-too’ climate are presumed to be guilty by the court of public opinion. Emotions bypass due-process, people choose sides, and the social media wars begin,” Tyson wrote.

He then stressed “evidence matters.”

“Evidence always matters. But what happens when it’s just one person’s word against another’s, and the stories don’t agree?” he asked. “That’s when people tend to pass judgment on who is more credible than whom. And that’s when an impartial investigation can best serve the truth – and would have my full cooperation to do so.”

Tyson also explained after two days of silence, why he is speaking out now.

“I’ve recently been publically accused of sexual misconduct. These accusations have received a fair amount of press in the past forty-eight hours, unaccompanied by my reactions,” He wrote. “In many cases, it’s not the media’s fault. I declined comment on the grounds that serious accusations should not be adjudicated in the press. But clearly I cannot continue to stay silent.”

He then offered his version of the events for each claim of sexual misconduct.

Read his full statement, including his account of the events, here.

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