In response to her refusal to comply with Ailes’ multiple harassing requests, Tantaros’ claims she was humiliated on social media by “sock puppet accounts” set up by Fox News publicity department. Fox News has claimed that Tantaros invented sexual harassment claims when in fact she was in breach of contract for publishing a book without approval.
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The lawsuit also alleges Tantaros was called into Ailes’ office at one point and was told to turn in a circle so he could watch her, and it was soon after she refused that she claims she was demoted to the lower-rated series Outnumbered.
NY magazine reported that a former booker for the network, Laurie Luhn, alleged that she’d been sexually harassed by Ailes over a period of 20 years.
In her lawsuit, Tantaros blames Ailes and show host Bill O’Reilly for making the workplace uncomfortable.
Tantaros also claims in her suit that she was sexually harassed by Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.
In the suit, Tantaros alleges that top executives – including William Shine who replaced Ailes as co-president – created a hostile environment and fueled a culture of misogyny and intimidation, the Associated Press reported. “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”, her suit says.
According to Tantaros, the suspension was not the first time Ailes and other Fox executives had retaliated against her for resisting a culture that sexualized female hosts.
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.
In 2004, he settled a lawsuit filed by Andrea Mackris, a former producer on his show, who claimed the host had phone sex conversations with her and told her he fantasized about her in the shower.
“Rogers Ailes is a genius when it comes to television, when it comes to communication with people, but so is Donald Trump”, she said. Earlier this month, the lawyer for the former “Outnumbered” co-host told NY magazine that she had informed Fox executive president Bill Shine, senior vice president Suzanne Scott, and general counsel Dianne Brandi about the alleged harassment and made numerous formal reports about it.
Now she’s taken a bigger step, suing Fox News.
The former Fox News host had enough after she told another executive what happened and the man told her to “let it go”.
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“There were never any circumstances of any kind whatsoever in which I had any interaction with her or any other employee at Fox, outside the studio”, Brown said.
