Fox renewed O’Reilly’s contract despite knowing of harassment allegations
The parent company of the Fox News Channel said it knew a news analyst planned to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill O’Reilly when it renewed the popular personality’s contract in February. The New York Times reported Saturday the company renewed O’Reilly’s contract after he reached a $32 million settlement with the analyst.
In a statement, 21st Century Fox defended its decision because it said O’Reilly had settled the matter personally. It also said O’Reilly and the woman had agreed the financial terms would be kept confidential. The company said O’Reilly’s new contract had added protections that allowed Fox to dismiss him if other allegations surfaced. O’Reilly was ousted months later when it was revealed Fox had paid five women $13 million to keep quiet about harassment allegations.
Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for O’Reilly, said in a statement Saturday that after 21st Century Fox fired founding CEO Roger Ailes in 2015 following harassment charges, dozens of women accused scores of male employees at Fox News Channel of harassment.
21st Century Fox paid out close to $100 million to settle all the cases, Fabiani said, adding that in O’Reilly’s 20 years working at the channel, not one complaint was filed against him by a co-worker, even on an anonymous hotline.
As part of the terms of their agreement, the news analyst signed an affidavit, dated Jan. 17 and obtained by the newspaper, stating that the two sides had resolved their dispute and that she had no claims against O’Reilly concerning any of the allegations in the draft complaint. All photos, text messages and other communications between the two would be destroyed, the newspaper reported. The settlement was by far the largest of a half dozen deals made by O’Reilly or the company to settle harassment allegations against the host, according to the newspaper. Fabiani said the newspaper’s account was false and taken out of context. The New York Times said it stands by its reporting.