Longtime Fox News host Bill O’Reilly might be facing an uncertain future after six women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior, casting doubt on the veteran host’s next days at the network.
O’Reilly remained on a “pre-planned” vacation from his position Wednesday but was scheduled to return April 24. However, a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday cited sources who said the network was preparing to fire O’Reilly. A look back at the accusations leveled against O’Reilly shows everything we know about the case against him so far.
2004: Andrea Mackris, a former producer at Fox News, settled with O’Reilly for $9 million after accusing him of making inappropriate phone calls.
2011: Former Fox Business host Rebecca Gomez Diamond settled with O’Reilly after she accused him of making inappropriate phone calls.
2014: Wendy Walsh, a recurring guest on O’Reilly’s show, claimed that the host offered to help her get a position at the network but refused to do so after she declined to go to a hotel room with him. Walsh later filed a lawsuit against O’Reilly and Fox News.
Demonstrators protest against Bill O’Reilly in New York City, Apr. 18, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Jan. 10, 2016: Fox News settled with on-air personality Juliet Huddy for $1.6 million after Huddy accused O’Reilly of making inappropriate phone calls and trying to kiss her as well as damaging her career after she rejected his advances.
Aug. 22, 2016: Former Fox News host Andrea Tarantos filed a lawsuit in which she alleged that former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and O’Reilly harassed her during her time at the network.
Apr. 1, 2017: A New York Times investigation revealed that O’Reilly and Fox News had settled with five women for a total of $13 million. Four involved sexual harassment claims while the fifth centered on verbal abuse. Of the five, two were previously known but three were revealed for the first time.
Apr. 5, 2017: President Donald Trump came to O’Reilly’s defense in an interview with the New York Times. “I think he’s a person I know well – he is a good person,” the president said. “Personally, I think he shouldn’t have settled. Because you should have taken it all the way; I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”
Apr. 10, 2017: New York City Public Advocate Letitia James called for an investigation into racial discrimination and sexual harassment at Fox News in a letter to the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
Apr. 11, 2017: O’Reilly told viewers on his show that he was taking a pre-planned vacation and would arrive back on April 24.
Apr. 18, 2017: Lawyer Lisa Bloom writes on Twitter that she is representing a new woman in a “sexual and racial harassment” case against O’Reilly, bringing the count of accusers to six.
Apr. 18, 2017: A Wall Street Journal report revealed that Fox News was preparing to fire the veteran host. Fox News did not confirm the report.
Apr. 18, 2017: O’Reilly’s lawyers released a statement defending him. “Bill O’Reilly has been subjected to a brutal campaign of character assassination that is unprecedented in post-McCarthyist America,” the statement said, claiming that the allegations were part of a campaign “orchestrated by far-left organizations bent on destroying O’Reilly for political and financial reasons.”
Bill O’Reilly poses on the set of his show in New York City, Mar. 17, 2015. Photo: Reuters
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
