Four simple words from TV host shock viewers

Chen stood by her husband when he first publicly faced allegations back in July, but when six new women came forward this week, the talk show host took leave from her day job, as a panellist on daytime show The Talk, and maintained a public silence after releasing a brief statement saying she needed to “be with family.”

But it was in another of her on-screen roles, hosting US Big Brother, than Chen let the public know where her allegiances lie.

Signing off for the episode as she sat opposite a contestant from the show, Chen bid viewers farewell.

“From outside of the Big Brother house with Brent, I’m Julie Chen-Moonves, goodnight,” she said, adding her husband’s surname to her own — for the first time in the history of the show she’s done that, EW notes.

Julie Chen and husband Les Moonves. Picture: Getty

This show of support comes as horrifying details emerge of the allegations against Moonves, who stood down from his role as President and CEO of the network that also employs Chen.

The New Yorker magazine reported the women’s new accusations, which included Moonves forcing them to perform oral sex and retaliating when his advances were turned away.

Moonves acknowledged relations with three of the women but said they were consensual, and that he had never used his position to hurt the careers of women.

In a statement to the magazine, Moonves said the “appalling accusations” are untrue, but he acknowledged consensual relations with three of the women before he started working at CBS.

Viewers fiercely debated Chen’s show of support for her husband, many criticising the presenter for standing by her man given the slew of detailed sexual abuse allegations he faces: