Fox News Has A Long List Of Sexual Harassment Allegations
During a radio interview Friday, former Fox News guest Debbie Schlussel described two incidents in which host Sean Hannity propositioned her. Schlussel said she denied his advances both times and was subsequently not invited back on his show.
Schlussel attempted to clarify the situation Monday during an interview with LawNewz in which she said that while both incidents took place, she did not think Hannity sexually harassed her. Regardless, the exposure came at a bad time for Fox News Channel, fresh off the heels of releasing veteran anchor and top moneymaker Bill O'Reilly after numerous sexual harassment allegations, as well as allegations in 2016 against former CEO Roger Ailes.
2004: Andrea Mackris, a former producer at Fox News, settled with O’Reilly for $9 million after accusing him of making inappropriate phone calls.
2011: Former Fox Business host Rebecca Gomez Diamond settled with O’Reilly after she accused him of making inappropriate phone calls.
2014: Wendy Walsh, a former guest on the network, claimed that O’Reilly offered to get her a position there but revoked his help after she refused to go to a hotel room with him. She later filed a lawsuit against Fox News and O’Reilly.
Roger Ailes answers questions during a press tour in Pasadena, California, Jul, 24, 2006. Photo: Reuters
Jan. 10, 2016: Fox settled with Juliet Huddy, an on-air personality, for $1.6 million after she accused O’Reilly of making inappropriate phone calls, trying to kiss her and damaging her career after she declined his advances.
Jul. 6, 2016: Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes accusing him of sexual harassment after she was fired from the company in June.
Jul. 9, 2016: New York Magazine broke a story in which it detailed the proliferation of sexual harassment allegations against Ailes. Gabriel Sherman reported that he spoke to six women who contacted Carlson’s attorney relaying incidents from as far back as 1960.
Read: Who Is Debbie Schlussel? Former Fox Guest Says Hannity Incident Wasn't Harassment
Jul. 21, 2016: Ailes resigned amid rampant sexual harassment allegations. By the time he officially stepped down, the number of women accusing him of misconduct was in the double digits, according to a report by New York Magazine.
Aug. 22, 2016: Andrea Tarantos, a former host on Fox News, filed a lawsuit in which she claimed Ailes and O’Reilly harassed her during her time there.
Sept. 6, 2016: Fox News settled a lawsuit filed by Carlson against Ailes for $20 million. Meanwhile, 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News Channel, also issued a public apology to Carlson.
Nov. 15, 2016: Fox News host Megyn Kelly released her book “Settle for More” in which she accused Ailes of sexual harassment.
Feb. 15, 2017: A federal investigation into 21st Century Fox began as a result of settlements made in sexual harassment cases without telling shareholders.
Protesters gather in front of Fox News Channel in New York City, Apr. 20, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Mar. 9, 2017: Fox News settled with former contributor Tamara Holder for $2.5 million. Holder had accused an executive at the company of sexual assault.
Apr. 1, 2017: The New York Times released an investigation in which they found that O’Reilly and Fox News had settled with five women in the past for a total of $13 million. Four cases centered on sexual harassment while the fifth was about verbal abuse.
Apr. 18, 2017: Lawyer Lisa Bloom tweets that she plans to represent a new woman in a “sexual and racial harassment” case against O’Reilly, bringing the count to six women in total.
Apr. 19, 2017: 21st Century Fox issued a statement declaring that O’Reilly would not be returning to the network. “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,” the company wrote.
Read: Everything We Know About Accusations Against Fox News Host Bill O'Reilly
Apr. 21, 2017: Schlussel described two incidents in which host Hannity propositioned her and she declined his advances. The conservative commentator said she stopped being booked on the show after that.
Apr. 23, 2017: Hannity issued a statement in which he described Schlussel as a “serial harasser” on a campaign to “smear and besmirch” his reputation. “I have retained a team of some of the finest and toughest lawyers in the country who are now in the process of laying out the legal course of action we will be taking against this individual,” he wrote. “I will fight every single lie about me by all legal means available to me as an American.”
Apr. 24, 2017: In an interview with LawNewz, Schlussel said she was not accusing Hannity of sexual harassment. “I would never accuse him of that,” she said. “Sexual harassment has a special meaning under the law and I would never accuse him of that.”
Wendy Walsh (R) appears with her lawyer, Lisa Bloom to discuss allegations of sexual harassment by Fox News host Bill O'Reilly in Los Angeles, California, Apr. 3, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Related Articles
