Ryan Seacrest Will Allegedly Be Protected By 30-Second Tape Delay By E!, Claims ‘Deadline’

Despite allegations of sexual agression and “crotch grinding” by former stylist Susie Hardy, Ryan Seacrest will still be on the Oscar red carpet for E!, but will allegedly be protected by a 30-second tape delay, claims Deadline.

When the stars walk the 90th Academy Awards red carpet at the Dolby Theatre, toward Ryan Seacrest and Guiliana Rancic, it may not exactly be “live.” The publication explained the reason behind a “possible decision” to use a tape delay.

They contend the main reason is the “potential tension.” What could happen, “could occur quickly,” but with a delay, it will be “almost live.”

An insider, who spoke to Deadline, explained that a short delay could help the producers deal with anything potentially volatile on the red carpet.

“The plan being considered is to mainly ensure plenty of time to either cut to Giuliana or to pull the plug altogether unnoticed if an on-camera encounter with Ryan goes into tricky territory.”

E!, who spoke to Deadline, insists that it is “business as usual,” and any sort of delay is not unusual, dismissing the notion of any sort of delay as “normal practice.”

“As always, we tape multiple sources of content simultaneously to deliver the best possible show, and there are often brief delays between interviews.”

While it appears that they are being extremely careful with any potential conflict associated with Ryan Seacrest, it should be noted that the ever-busy Seacrest will be hosting the American Idol reboot, that will start on Sunday, March 11, on ABC.

The Disney-owned ABC has placed a lot of chips on the success of American Idol, and by supporting him, their highest-profile host, they have placed a lot of trust on the investigation that claims that the allegations were untrue.

E! had hired an outside council to investigate the allegations. In February, they determined that the claims made by Suzie Hardy, Seacrest’s ex-stylist, were unfounded as there was “insufficient evidence.”

“The investigation, conducted by outside counsel, found insufficient evidence to support the claims against Seacrest and therefore could not be substantiated.”

In November, it was Ryan Seacrest who made the allegations public, by explaining that a stylist, who had worked for him a decade earlier, had come forward accusing Seacrest of “behaving inappropriately.”

Deadline reported that Seacrest denied any sort of inappropriate behavior, yet apologized if he had unintentionally made her uncomfortable.

“If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry.”

According to The Sun, Andrew Baum, Seacrest’s attorney, claims that Suzie Hardy had allegedly threatened to take her story to the press unless she was given $15 million to stay silent. Hardy denies this.

Meanwhile, Guiliana Rancic, Seacrest’s E! red carpet co-host went to Instagram to post about her longtime partner, showing Ryan Seacrest support.

“12 years…thousands of laughs…hundreds of stars…and one amazing red carpet bff. You’ll always be younger (4 months) but I’ll always be taller (in heels)????Can’t wait to see you today at the Oscars @ryanseacrest!!! We are live from the #eredcarpet at 5 eastern / 2 pacific on E!????????????”

Already, Rancic and Seacrest, who have co-hosted the Oscars red carpet for E! for over 10 years, have to tread on eggshells, as actresses do not wish to discuss what they are wearing, but instead want to be asked about their current roles.

Ryan Seacrest is still scheduled to interview Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel after the ceremony, and it will be aired on Monday’s Live With Kelly and Ryan, keeping it in the ABC family