Within the past few weeks, allegations have been coming forward about past sexual harassment charges against none other than Fox News golden boy, Bill O'Reilly. The New York Times investigated these allegations and found that there have been five women who were paid to keep quiet, their silence to the tune of $13 million. Two of the settlements came after Roger Ailes, Fox News' former chairman was "dismissed".
The women who made the allegations against O'Reilly had either appeared on his show or worked for him during the time of the harassment. Complaints made by the women included receiving unwanted advances from O'Reilly, verbal abuse, lewd comments and a series of other uncomfortable situations. According to The New York Times, "Mr. O’Reilly would create a bond with some women by offering advice and promising to help them professionally. He then would pursue sexual relationships with them, causing some to fear that if they rebuffed him, their careers would stall."
One claim occurred in 2008, the woman's attorney, Lisa Bloom, saying, "He wouldn’t speak to her other than to say to things like 'Mmmmmhhhh,' make grunting noises like an animal, she alleges, leering at her, looking at her cleavage and her legs and would call her 'hot chocolate,' which she found to be very offensive." This woman, a clerical worker in the same building as O'Reilly, was afraid to speak up until now for fear of losing her job.
To this, O'Reilly's attorney, Marc Kasowitz, called the allegations "outrageous", and complained that people are trying to "destroy" his client. Kasowitz then released a second statement saying that his client is being "subject to a brutal campaign of character assassination" for political reasons.
"Outrageous" or not, Fox News wants nothing to do with this kind of scandal, and gave O'Reilly the boot on Wednesday. 21 Century Fox released a statement saying “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel".
O'Reilly, who had been silent through the scandal, released a statement of his own shortly after the announcement of his exit. "It is tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims. But that is the unfortunate reality many of us in the public eye must live with today.
I will always look back on my time at Fox with great pride in the unprecedented success we achieved and with my deepest gratitude to all my dedicated viewers. I wish only the best for Fox News Channel."
As of now, Fox News hasn't made any announcements regarding how they plan to fill the time slot where "The O'Reilly Factor" once was. This show has been on air since 1996, and while ratings are a concern, Rupert Murdoch, leader of the network, isn't worried. "We have full confidence that the network will continue to be a powerhouse in cable news."
