$13M SLIME
Reports: Fox, O’Reilly paid big in 5 sex raps
BILL O’REILLY and Fox News have paid out more than $13 million in settlements to five women who accused the TV star of making lewd comments and propositioning them for sex, according to a new report.
The allegations painted O’Reilly, 67, as a lecherous figure who even made phone calls in which it sounded like he was masturbating, the New York Times reported.
O’Reilly shelled out $10 million and Fox News $3 million to settle the five cases over a 15-year span, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In full damage control mode, O’Reilly has hired a crisis communication consultant who, ironically, used to work for President Clinton.
Fox News’ parent company signaled its support for the outspoken pundit.
“While he denies the merits of these claims, Mr. O’Reilly has resolved those he regarded as his personal responsibility,” 21st Century Fox said.
“Mr. O’Reilly is fully committed to supporting our efforts to improve the environment for all our employees at Fox News.”
O’Reilly joined Fox News in 1996 and earns about $18 million a year as host of the highlyrated “The O’Reilly Factor.”
The lawsuits alleged that O’Reilly used his status in the newsroom to pledge to help women advance their careers — and then used that as leverage to try to get them into bed, the Times reported.
The women claimed they were afraid their careers would stall if they didn’t go along with his demands.
In 2016, similar sexual harassment allegations against then Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes led to his firing.
The Times uncovered three previously unreported settlements. Two were related to sexual harassment claims, and the third involved allegations he screamed at a producer in front of colleagues.
Junior producer Rachel Witlieb accused O’Reilly of hollering at her in front of colleagues in 2002. She got a payout and left Fox after signing a confidentiality agreement, the newspaper reported.
In 2011, Rebecca Gomez Diamond, a former host, was let go after she complained about O’Reilly’s conduct, armed with secretly recorded conversations. O’Reilly paid her settlement himself and Diamond left after signing a confidentiality agreement, the Times reported.
Former Fox News anchor Laurie Dhue settled with the company for more than $1 million in 2016 after she made harassment claims against O’Reilly and Ailes after her departure from the network, the Times reported Saturday.
O’Reilly gave a statement to the Times suggesting his fame made him a target of suits.
“Just like other prominent and controversial people, I’m vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity,” the statement read in part.
Two additional O’Reilly settlements have been previously reported:
In 2004, producer Andrea Mackris, then 33, claimed O’Reilly told her to buy a vibrator and detailed his fantasies about having sex with her, including in phone calls where it sounded like he was masturbating. She alleged he later threatened her to keep her mouth shut. She settled her suit for $9 million.
In September, 21st Century Fox settled with on-air personality Juliet Huddy for $1.6 million after she alleged O’Reilly pursued sex with her in 2011 and then blocked her career when she refused.