Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson is addressing claims of sexual misconduct against him.
“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,” he wrote in a lengthy post on his Facebook page. “In any claim, 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? 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.”
On Friday it was announced that the host is under investigation by Fox, National Geographic and the producers of his scientific docuseries following the allegations of sexual misconduct. Two women came forward with claims of inappropriate sexual advances in a story in Patheos on Thursday.
In deGrasse Tyson’s post, the astrophysicist goes on to explain his version of events from the various accusations against him, and he says he welcomes the investigation into his actions.
“Accusations can damage a reputation and a marriage. Sometimes irreversibly. 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,” he concludes.
Before the Patheos story containing two accusations on Thursday, Tyson was first accused of sexual misconduct in 2014, when a woman who said she was a graduate student with deGrasse Tyson at the University of Texas at Austin said in a blog post that he had drugged and raped her.
Read his full statement below:
This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
