Fox chairman Roger Ailes, departs amid revelations of pattern of sexual harassment against female staffers; Rupert Murdoch and sons shoved him out of fox with $40M payoff: Reports
Roger Ailes 76, Fox News CEO resigns, tripped by Gretchen Carlson’s sexual harassment suit
His departure comes hours after it’s revealed Megyn Kelly told Murdoch investigators she too, was a victim of sexual harassment from Ailes
Ailes departs Fox News after 20 years with $40m handshake
Kelly revealations come a day after Rupert Murdoch and sons James and Lachlan gave Ailes until Aug. 1 to step down or be fired
Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, the casts of “Fox & Friends,” “The Five” and Greta Van Susteren” allegedly considering “walking out” with Ailes
Roger Ailes and wife Elizabeth
Roger Ailes, the 76-year-old media titan reportedly stepped down from his position as CEO and chairman at the right-leaning network on Tuesday, amid a sexual harassment lawsuit by Gretchen Carlson, alleging she was demoted then let go because she rebuffed sexual advancements from Fox boss, Ailes.
Ailes’ fate was sealed when it word leaked out that the embattled Fox chairman of Fox News allegedly sexually harassed Megyn Kelly, the network’s biggest star, after Bill O’Reilly, a decade ago.
The Druge report obtained paperwork showing that Ailes, , is taking a $40million payout as he leaves the company after twenty years. After sharing a scan of the agreement on Twitter, he deleted the tweet.
Fox initially confirmed the report from Drudge, however they later walked back that confirmation.
In a damning twist, a representative for 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News Channel, did not defend Ailes, choosing instead not to comment on the issue. However, hours later, a spokesman for the company denied a Drudge Report headline and tweet that Ailes had signed a $40 million agreement to resign.
21CF spokesman Nathaniel Brown said:”Roger is at work. The review is ongoing. And the only agreement that is in place is his existing employment agreement,” 21CF spokesman Nathaniel Brown said.
Gretchen Carlson file a sexual harassment suit against Roger Ailes
Soon after Drudge’s tweet was deleted. The web site later reported that Kelly’s 2006 harassment complaint against Ailes arose after she “didn’t like the way he had hugged her.” Drudge also reported that collection of Fox News Channel who are ‘Ailes loyalists’, including Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, the casts of “Fox & Friends,” “The Five” and Greta Van Susteren” were considering “walking out” of the door with chairman Ailes. Drudge, offered no other information other than brief headlines. New York magazine writer Gabriel Sherman soon tweeted that the Drudge headline was “Ailes spin attempt at spin, Fox source in Cleveland says talent has not set meeting to stage walk out.” Kelly’s alleged claim against Ailes comes just a day after it was reported that Rupert Murdoch and sons James and Kelly’s alleged claim against Ailes comes just a day after it was reported that Rupert Murdoch and sons James and Lachlan who is the highest-ranking executives at 21st Century Fox, gave Ailes until Aug. 1 to either step down or be fired from his high-profile post as the founder.
It was also reported that Ailes, has been getting advice about how to handle the case from Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani.
Initial efforts by investigators and attorneys to interview former Fox employees who have stories of harassment were blocked because they signed settlements with Ailes’s Fox attorney, Dianne Brandi. The widespread sexist culture was consolidated after 21st Century Fox is waived the NDAs to allow women to speak.
Kelly’s bombshell proved too tall to overcome for Ailes, who has been one her biggest boosters over the years. He has also defended her repeatedly against Donald Trump’s vicious, repeated sexist attacks last year.
Megyn kelly Claims against Fox News boss Roger Ailes hrassed her a decade ago
But Kelly had been curiously and conspicuously been absent from the concerted and allegedly, orchestrated effort to defend Ailes from the allegations by about a dozen current Fox News personalities.
The pro-Ailes campaign, reportedly led by Fox host Kimberly Guilfoyle, has featured a parade of the network’s talking heads publicly defending their boss in the weeks since former “Fox & Friends” co-host Gretchen Carlson slapped Ailes with a lawsuit in early July. The former Miss America alleges Ailest tried to coax her into having sex and then fired her when she rebuffed his advances after an 11-year run at Fox. Other women have accused their powerful media boss, of sexual harassment too.
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