Chris Matthews appears on MSNBC for first time since his exit, says he takes 'ownership' of his actions

Former MSNBC star Chris Matthews appeared on the network for the first time since his abrupt exit last year amid a series of controversies.

Promoting his new memoir "This Country: My Life in Politics and History," Matthews was welcomed on Tuesday's installment of "The ReidOut," the MSNBC program hosted by Joy Reid that ultimately took over the timeslot left vacant by "Hardball" after he shocked viewers by announcing his departure in March 2020.

"Joy, I'm glad to see you in that seat," Matthews told his former colleague at the beginning of the interview. "You've certainly earned it. When I left, I'm glad you came."

After discussing his book and his thoughts on the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill, Matthews was asked about the "upshot" of leaving MSNBC. 

MSNBC HOST CHRIS MATTHEWS ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION AMID SERIES OF CONTROVERSIES

"Well… the upshot is that I know a lot of people come up to me and say ‘I miss you personally,’" Matthews responded. "They like you but they miss me. I had good company together… But I think the reason- I know the reason I left is that somebody reported that I complimented somebody- actually I'm going to use the right words. I commented, remarked on somebody's appearance in the makeup room. And I shouldn't have done that. Nobody has to come to defend me. And, by the way, I kept all of my friends, but nobody needs to defend me. I did something wrong. So I'm going to move on from that. I accept it. I took ownership of it, using a nice modern phrase. I did not deny it. I lost my show over it. That's it. So that's the truth."  

In an op-ed for GQ, journalist Laura Bassett claimed Matthews used sexist language when she visited the MSNBC studio to appear on his show as a guest. She recalled Matthews looking at her in an adjacent makeup chair before an appearance in 2016 and asking: 'Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?'"

Bassett said she laughed nervously but Matthews kept making comments to the makeup artist. "Keep putting makeup on her, I’ll fall in love with her," Matthews allegedly said.

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She said he made another comment about her makeup during a separate appearance. "Make sure you wipe this off her face after the show," she wrote he said to the makeup artist. "We don’t make her up so some guy at a bar can look at her like this."

The "Hardball" host was also heavily criticized for comparing Sen. Bernie Sanders' victory in the 2020 Nevada caucuses to the Nazi conquest of France in 1940. He later apologized for those remarks.

After having a series of rotating hosts, Joy Reid officially took over the timeslot in July 2020. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.