'The Talk's Julie Chen confirms exit in tearful video message: 'I will always cherish the memories we shared'

Julie Chen officially parted ways with The Talk on Tuesday, little more than one week after husband Les Moonves was fired from CBS in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

Chen said goodbye to the daytime series via a pre-taped message on Tuesday’s broadcast, in which she said, “I have been at The Talk since the day it started nine years ago, and the cast, crew and staff have become family to me over the years. But right now, I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son. So I’ve decided to leave The Talk. I want to thank everyone at the show for our wonderful years together. I will always, always cherish the memories we shared. Most important, I want to thank you, the viewers, for allowing me into your home every day. It was a privilege that I will forever be grateful for. To everyone behind the scenes… I send you my love. I will miss you all very, very much.”

Chen then turned her attention to her co-hosts, telling Eve, “You’re the newest one at the table, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. You are even more beautiful on the inside than you are on the outside, if that’s even possible, because you know I think you are flawless.”

To Sheryl Underwood, she said, “Thank you for being the perfect go-to partner for the last seven years. I open, you close, and you always bring down the house… Your wit and timing and humor and compassion and intelligence is simply unparalleled.”

Lastly, she addressed Sara Gilbert and Sharon Osbourne: “We’ve been together since Day 1 at The Talk. I’ve spent every day with you both. I will always treasure our friendship, the great parenting advice from both of you and the memories and laughs and all the private jokes that the three of us have shared. We are the original Three Musketeers. I love you all, and I know that this show, and the sisterhood that it stands for, will live on for many, many, many more years to come. You ladies got this, and I cannot be more proud to call you my friends. I love you.”

Gilbert then closed the episode by saying, “First of all, thank you so much, Julie for the kind words. I created this show as a place for friends to come together, and I know I speak for all the hosts when I say we thank you for eight years of dear friendship and for all that you did to contribute to the success of this show. We love you, Julie.”

Moonves, who has been married to Chen since 2004, resigned from his roles as CBS chairman and CEO on Sept. 9, after a second New Yorker exposé by Ronan Farrow revealed more allegations of sexual misconduct. Six more women — in addition to the six that came forward in Farrow’s first article on July 27 — accused Moonves of forcing them to perform oral sex on him, exposing himself and verbally abusing them when they rebuffed his advances, among other things.

Following Moonves’ firing, Chen was absent from The Talk‘s Season 9 premiere, instead releasing a statement that read, “I am taking a few days off from The Talk to be with my family. I will be back soon and will see you Thursday night on Big Brother.”

Indeed, on the Sept. 13 episode of Big Brother, Chen showed support for her husband with her conspicuous sign-off from the broadcast: “I’m Julie Chen Moonves. Good night.” (This was the second time Chen publicly stood behind Moonves: After the initial harassment allegations surfaced in July, Chen’s statement on Twitter referred to Moonves as “a kind, decent and moral human being” whom she would “fully support.”)

Chen had been a co-host on The Talk since the series launched in October 2010.