Gretchen Carlson on Educating Her Kids About Sexual Harassment: ‘I Want My Son to Respect Women’
Gretchen Carlson is working to fight sexual harassment — starting inside her own home.
The 50-year-old former Fox News host graced the cover of Good Housekeeping‘s February issue and opened up about educating her children about sexual harassment.
“One of the most important things to do is to raise our kids in a respectful way with both genders,” Carlson told CNN’s Carol Costello in an exclusive interview with the magazine. “I want to respect women when he gets to the workplace. Whether you work inside or outside the home, it’s important to have that respect.”
Carlson has two children, son Christian and daughter Kaia, with her sports agent husband Casey Close.
Last year, Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against former Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Fox News reached a $20 million settlement with Carlson in September, and she has since spoken out about her past experience with sexual harassment.
“This is not an issue that women should feel pressure to solve by ourselves,” she told Costello. “It’s an issue for our society, for men and women, to fix.”
The mom of two also addressed the nation’s political climate, noting that the country is “so divided.”
“We need a woman in the White House right now. I really think that women want to work together. In the past 10 or 15 years, what has Congress done? Nothing,” Carlson said. “I do think we need to find common ground on some of these major issues facing our nation. I see this as an unbelievable opportunity for our new President to prove what he can do.”
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And as she does her part to tackle the issue of sexual harassment, Carlson said she’s never giving up her “badass side.”
“I’ve had fire in my belly ever since I can remember. I’ve always pushed myself to accomplish goals, and to do that, you need to have a steely side,” she said.
“Maybe it’s because I’m short and blond, but people have really underestimated me. They don’t know the real Gretchen if they don’t know my badass side, but it’s what’s gotten me through many of the trials in my life. I think more people know it now.”
