Actress Chloe Dykstra claims a longterm ex-boyfriend, assumed to be Chris Hardwick, emotionally and sexually abused her

Chris Hardwick and Chloe Dykstra.
(Image credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Actress and cosplay show host Chloe Dykstra has written an essay in which she accuses an ex-boyfriend, assumed to be Chris Hardwick, of emotional and sexual abuse. "In my early twenties, I was a vibrant, goofy kid who loved video games, Doctor Who, dressing up in cosplay with my friends, and karaoke nights," Dykstra writes, saying that her life changed when she "met someone at a convention and ended up falling for a man almost 20 years my senior." Dykstra claims that within weeks the man had established rules for her, including that she not go out at night, drink alcohol, have male friends, or speak in public places where they might be overheard.

Dykstra also describes the man sexually assaulting her: "Every night, I laid there for him, occasionally in tears," she writes.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.