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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Entertainment
Peter Sblendorio

Former co-worker claims he witnessed Ryan Seacrest's sexual misconduct

A former co-worker of Ryan Seacrest claims he witnessed the TV personality committing sexual misconduct toward his former stylist Suzie Hardy multiple times.

The ex-E! employee, whose identity was not revealed, detailed Seacrest's alleged misbehavior in a new interview with NBC News, which aired Wednesday on the "Today" show.

"She would go to tie his shoe and Ryan would shove her head toward his crotch," the source told NBC's Kate Snow. "I saw that more than once."

The source, who NBC News confirmed to have previously worked with Seacrest, also claimed to have come across Seacrest hugging Hardy from behind in 2008 while she was dressing him at The Roosevelt in Los Angeles ahead of a red carpet show for the Oscars.

"She yelled get off of me," he told Snow. "She was trying to get away from him. I could see an erect penis in his underwear."

The source's allegations come on the heels of a Variety article that ran earlier this week and detailed Seacrest's alleged misconduct toward Hardy. Hardy spoke to Variety for the article, which also cited a letter sent by her attorney to E! last November to accuse Seacrest of repeated sexual harassment.

Seacrest has denied Hardy's allegations, while his attorney refuted the co-workers claims to NBC News as "lies."

In the letter cited by Variety, Hardy's legal team accused Seacrest of embracing her in "bear hugs" while in his underwear over 10 times, groping her vagina and slapping her on the backside.

E! News launched an investigation looking into allegations against Seacrest late last year. The company cleared him earlier this month, stating there was "insufficient evidence to support the claims against Seacrest."

Seacrest publicly denied Hardy's allegations months before the investigation was completed.

Seacrest's lawyer claims Hardy threatened to go public with her accusations if he didn't pay her $15 million. Hardy, meanwhile, denies ever asking Seacrest or the network for money.

Multiple sources close to Seacrest shot down the new claims made by his and Hardy's former co-worker to NBC. Seacrest's attorney says E! has long been aware of the former co-worker's allegations.

Ryan Seacrest breaks silence after E! ends sexual harassment case

"These claims are not new and were considered by the investigator hired by E!, who found no evidence of wrongdoing," the attorney told NBC.

Seacrest has not addressed any of this week's allegations on air.

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