Julie Chen and Leslie Moonves. Rob Latour/Shutterstock
The meaning behind the moniker Julie Chen MoonvesThey were married in June. Leslie Moonves, in 2004, but she didn’t start using his last name until 2018 — and she just explained why.
“When I married my husband, I chose not to take the name because I thought it could be seen as an unfair advantage,” the Big Brother52-year-old host told DeadlineInterview published Wednesday, July 6. “It was a powerful, popular name to have. I had my own career before I met him. So, I wanted to keep that.”
Moonves, 72 was the Chairman and CEO of CBS between 2003 and September 2018. He resigned in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Moonves had been working at CBS since 1995, before he was appointed CEO.
After the Bucknell University alum’s resignation, Chen Moonves surprised viewers by using her married name to sign off from a September 2018 episode of Big Brother. The former TalkSince 2000, the reality show’s debut, cohost had used her maiden names.
“When his name was getting dragged through the mud, I thought this is the time to make my stand and to let the world know who I am,” the New York City native explained on Wednesday. “And it was a sign of support for my husband. I know him. And he is a good man.”
The former CBS Morning News anchor added that she hadn’t told anyone in advance that she planned to use a different name that evening. “I made the change on the fly on a live show in the spur of the moment,” she explained. “I didn’t tell anybody. I was, like, toying with it, and I remember my heart racing while I thought, ‘Am I gonna do it?’ It just became a moment.”
Two months after the episode aired, CBS used the name “Julie Chen Moonves” in a press release about season 2 of Celebrity Big Brother, confirming the reality host’s name change.
The University of Southern California graduate and businessman were married in Mexico in December 2004. In September 2009, Charlie, Charlie’s 12-year-old brother, was born to the couple. Moonves also has three children with ex-wife Nancy Wiesenfeld.
Chen Moonves defended her husband after allegations against him surfaced in July 2018. “I have known my husband, Leslie Moonves, since the mid-90s, and I have been married to him for almost 14 years,” she wrote in a Twitter statement at the time. “Leslie is a good man and loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He is a kind, decent, and moral person. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement.”
The former CBS This Morning host was referring to Moonves’ initial statement denying the allegations against him that were published in exposé by The New Yorker.
“I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances,” he said at the time. “Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected — and abided by the principle — that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career.”
