Fox News women are reportedly “stunned, disgusted and ‘hungry for justice’” after Rupert Murdoch claimed that the only sexual harassment at the network were a few “isolated incidents” regarding Roger Ailes.
From HuffPost:
When Sky News’ Ian King asked Murdoch if he thought the accusations have hurt Fox, Murdoch, who is executive co-chairman of 21st Century Fox, responded: “It’s all nonsense.”
Murdoch did say there was “sort of” a problem with former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes — whom 10 women accused of harassment, costing Murdoch’s company $45 million to settle lawsuits related to the complaints.
“There was a problem with our chief executive, sort of, over the year — isolated incidents,” said Murdoch. “As soon as we investigated it, he was out of the place in hours, well, three or four days. And there has been nothing else since then.”
Murdoch somehow forgot about Bill O’Reilly getting fired one year and millions of dollars later as did former host Eric Bolling. And that’s not counting former co-president Bill Shine who was implicated in covering up Ailes’ misconduct and dismissing concerns from women who complained.
HuffPost followed up by speaking with 10 women, all current and former on-air talent at Fox. They did not sound like they were going to go along to get along, to put it mildly.
Lauren Sivan, a television reporter who worked at Fox News and now works at a Fox station in Los Angeles owned by 21st Century Fox, said Ailes used to have her sit on his lap so he could monitor her breathing and diaphragm. He did this, she said, under the false premise of helping her speak better on television. Several women at Fox News said Ailes required them to sit on his lap and engage in the same exercise.
[…]
Tamara Holder, a Fox News commentator who settled with the network earlier this year over a sexual assault claim, said, “You cannot rewrite history, Mr. Murdoch. The problem was not only with your chief executive. For example, one of your former executives trapped me in his office, pulled-out his penis and shoved my head on it. That’s not ‘nonsense.’ That’s criminal.”
[…]
Some Fox News women who have never come forward publicly with their complaints say they are considering sharing what they experienced, and were willing to walk out if necessary. ...
“I’m contacting a lawyer tomorrow,” said one Fox News host. “I’m sick of this shit.”
If another wave of the #MeToo movement washes over Fox, how will Laura Ingraham handle it?
Watch Murdoch dismiss problems of sexual harassment at Fox below, via HuffPost.
Crossposted at News Hounds.
We watch Fox so you don't have to!
