A former Fox News host, Andrea Tantaros, has filed a lawsuit against the network, claiming that she was sexually harassed by former network chairman Roger Ailes and that Mr Ailes’ lieutenants punished her for her complaints.
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Andrea Tantaros filed the lawsuit Monday in New York State Supreme Court in Manattan.
In the past, Ailes also reportedly asked Tantaros to turn around “so I can get a good look at you”, the lawsuit claims.
“For Ailes did not act alone”, Tantaros’ lawsuit reads. She also alleges that when she complained about Ailes’ behavior to senior staffer Bill Shine-recently named network co-president-she was told Ailes is a “powerful man” and that she “need [ed] to let this one go”.
In April, a lawyer for Fox News said Tantaros’ sexual harassment allegations were created to gain leverage in the contract dispute. Ailes has denied allegations of sexual harassment. In 2011, Fox promoted her.
The lawsuit claims Tantaros continued to rebuff Ailes and alleges she began to encounter hostility from the Fox News publicity department.
The claims came a week after the New York Times reported that Ailes, 76, was helping Trump prepare for debates with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Once her complaints were revealed to management, she lost her show and was eventually taken off the air, Tantaros claims. Her suit alleges that she was repeatedly warned against wearing trousers on-air because “Roger wants to see your legs”, and that O’Reilly, who she regarded as a mentor, made unwelcome overtures.
It also states that she was repeatedly told by executives at Fox that she couldn’t wear trousers on the air because “Roger wants to see your legs”, and claims he called her into his office in 2014 and asked if she was planning on getting married and having kids.
According to her Fox News biography, Tantaros joined the network in 2010, eventually becoming a host on “Outnumbered” and “The Five”.
The lawsuit goes on to say that on August 12, 2014, Mr. Ailes called her into his office and asked if she was planning to marry and have children.
Tantaros claims she complained about the harassment to Shine.
Fox in a statement said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Rupert Murdoch, who owns the parent company of Fox News, has been named in a new sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Fox News anchor Andrea Tantaros. Ailes was also listed as a defendant.
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And after Tantaros and Stacey Dash had an on-air disagreement Ailes said to her: ‘I heard you were mean to the black girl’. Tantaros also alleged that Ailes asked her if Guilfoyle was sleeping with her co-host Eric Bolling.
