Roger Ailes Dies: Former Fox News Chairman And CEO Was 77

Denise Petski
Updated

Update with Medical Examiner statement The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that Ailes died from complications following a head injury from a fall at his home. There was no evidence of foul play, hemophilia contributed to his death, and the full report will be available within four weeks.

The full statement reads:

“The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office has completed the investigation and examination of Roger Ailes, who died this morning of complications of a subdural hematoma after he fell at home injuring his head.

Hemophilia contributed to his death and his manner of death was accidental. There was no evidence of foul play.

No further information will be available at this time. The medical examiner report will be available in 3-4 weeks.”

Previous Former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes died Thursday. Fox News confirmed his death this morning. He was 77. The cause of death is not immediately known.

His wife Elizabeth Ailes provided a statement to the Drudge Report: “I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many. He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise—and to give back. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life…”

Ailes death comes less than a year after he resigned from the company over multiple allegations of sexual harassment. His ouster as Fox News CEO came shortly after Fox News host Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him July 6, after her contract was not renewed. Before his exit, Ailes, the architect of the Fox News as a ratings behemoth and political force, had signed a multi-year contract to continue running Fox News, Fox Business Network, and Fox Television Stations.

The financial fallout from the sexual harassment claims and lawsuits, meanwhile, has continued to pile up at Fox News Channel. In corporate filings submitted by parent 21st Century Fox in May, the price tag stood at $45 million. They also forced the exits of Fox News’ biggest star, Bill O’Reilly, and co-president Bill Shine.

Ailes was serving as president of CNBC in the early 1990s when he left to create Fox, in which he helped shape and transform the modern cable news landscape. Before founding Fox, he worked as a producer and also worked in politics as a consultant for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, as well as Rudy Giuliani’s first mayoral campaign. In 2016, he joined the Donald Trump campaign as an adviser and assisted with debate preparation.

According to unauthorized biographer Gabe Sherman, Ailes had suffered from health problems virtually his entire life. Ailes was a hemophiliac, Sherman says and had had multiple surgeries including joint replacements and prostate surgery in recent years.

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