sex scandal agony piles for ex-FOX chief: Former Fox co-host, Andrea Tantaros, files $30m sexual harassment suit against former CEO, Roger Ailes and the network
Former Fox News co-host, Andrea Tantaros, files $30 million lawsuit against the network and its former boss, Roger Ailes.
Her lawsuit castigates the network “Fox News masquerades as defender of traditional family values, but behind the scenes, it operates like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency, and misogyny”
The cast of assaulters cited in the suit include FOX host Bill O’Reilly and former host, one time Massachusetts Senator, Scott Brown
Tantaros says she complained about Ailes and (PR chief) Briganti to Fox brass including current News head William Shine, who allegedly told her to back off. Ailes is “a very powerful man,” and you “needed to let this one go”
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The former FOX co-host charges in a bombshell $30 million lawsuit against the network and its former boss, Roger Ailes, says her former boss repeatedly made inappropriate sexually charged comments to her and about her co-workers, and then smeared her after she complained about his behavior.
And Ailes “did not act alone,” says the suit.
“He may have been the primary culprit, but his actions were condoned by his most senior lieutenants, who engaged in a concerted effort to silence Tantaros by threats, humiliation, and retaliation.”
Tantaros who joined Fox’s show “The Five” in 2011, says “From the outset of her employment, it became clear that Fox News was defined by a culture of sexism that emanated from Ailes, and was enforced even by some of his female executives. Thus, in 2011 and continuing throughout her entire tenure at Fox News, Tantaros was repeatedly told by various Fox News wardrobe staffers and executives, male and female, that she could not wear pants on air because “Roger wants to see your legs,” the suit says.

Ex-FOX chief Roger Ailes resigned from Fox News in July in the midst of an ever widening sexual misconduct controversy. He left with a reported $40 million golden parachute.
The suit claims Ailes would make remarks about Tantaros’ appearance, and ramped up his bad behavior in August of 2014 when he called her in for a meeting in his office.
According tothe court papaers, he “improperly asked Tantaros whether she hoped to get married and have kids one day. Ailes then started complaining about marriage in general, and also made off-color jokes about being married,” before launching into “a host of inappropriate questions and comments about other people working at Fox News,” including whether “Greg Gutfeld is gay,” complaining about the weight of Maria Bartiromo, who’s publicly defended Ailes and calling Kimberly Guilfoyle “easy.”
He went on to say, “If I ever had to go on a date with (Monica Crowley), I’d jump out the window.”
Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson whom Roger Ailes apparently called “nuts”, cut down the fomerly untouchable media giant
Commenting on Gretchen Carlson, whose own sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes earlier this year led to his downfall at the network , Ailes said “She’s nuts.”
He then asked Tantaros to turn around “so I can get a good look at you,” the suit says.
After rejecting his advances, Tantaros was bumped from “The Five” and moved onto another show called “Outnumbered” with a much worse time slot.
A few months later, he called her back into his office to see if she’d gotten the message, before going off again on her co-workers, referring to Guilfoyle as a “Puerto Rican whore” and saying Harris Faulkner “has to be careful. She has the tendency to look like the angry black woman”.
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In the filing Tantaros claims Ailes asked her for a hug, which she turned down. Shortly afterwards, the network stopped promoting her, and she found herself the subject of false news stories at entities affiliated with Fox, the filing says. Her suit claims she was belittled by Fox’s PR czar Irena Briganti, who told her, “Nobody likes you.”
She said she complained about Ailes and Briganti to Fox brass including now Fox News head William Shine, but he told her to back off. Ailes was “a very powerful man,” Shine allegedly told Tantaros, and she “needed to let this one go.”
FOX top host Megyn Kelly validated Gretchen Carlson’s charges against Roger Ailes
Tantaros also claims former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown put his hands on her during his time as a Fox host.
In a tweet, Brown wrote, “As a survivor of sexual abuse, I would never perpetuate language or actions as described in FOX complaint. Actions referenced are fabricated.”
The harassment by Ailes got even worse, Tantaros alleges. He called her into his office in February 2015, telling Tantaros that her body “looked good” and that “I bet you look good in a bikini.” He then reduced her to tears by telling her the reason she’d recently broken up with her long-time boyfriend because, “You use men.”
The network then retaliated against her some more by allegedly planting a story headlined, “Sean Hannity Has Nice Things to Say about Andrea Tantaros, but Not Everybody Does.”
She also had problems with come-ons from guests and one of the network’s most popular hosts, Bill O’Reilly.
Former mentor Bill O’Reilly, “started sexually harassing her” Tanteros in February of last year
O’Reilly, “whom Tantaros had considered to be a good friend and a person from whom she sought career guidance, started sexually harassing her” in February of last year, asking her to come “stay with him on Long Island where it would be ‘very private,’ and telling her on more than one occasion that he could “see (her) as a wild girl,” and that he believed that she had a ‘wild side,'” the filing says.
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She complained about O’Reilly’s behavior and then got barred from appearing on his show while nothing happened to the “O’Reilly Factor” host, the suit says.
She said she was taken off air earlier this year after the network brass complained she’d written a book without their approval, even though the book had been signed off on and was being published by HarperCollins, which had the same ownership as Fox, and she’d repeatedly promoted the book on air.
Tantaros accused former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown of putting his hands on her during his time as a Fox host
Ailes stepped down earlier this year after Carlson filed a harassment suit and numerous women came forward to claim they’d been harassed by Ailes over a period of decades.
The suit scoffs at Fox’s claim that it took swift action against Ailes after the widespread harassment came to light.
At another company, Ailes “would have been terminated for cause, with no further compensation. Instead, Fox News’ owners the Rupert Murdoch and his children reportedly “gave Ailes a $40 million going-away present,” and “Ailes is reportedly still serving as an ‘advisor’ to Rupert Murdoch.”
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Commenting further on the elevation of William Shine to co-president of the network despite his turning a blind eye to Ailes’ shenanigans shows nothing has changed at the network: “Shine’s inexplicable elevation sends the message that it will be ‘business as usual’ at Fox News when it comes to the treatment of women,” the suit reads.
A spokesperson for the network said, “FOX News does not comment on pending litigation”
An attorney for Ailes, who’s denied that he sexually harassed Fox employees.
The suit seeks millions of dollars in lost income and mental anguish, plus punitive damages.
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