Former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros filed a suit yesterday against Fox News and Roger Ailes, along with numerous other defendants, accusing the conservative network of operating “like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency, and misogyny”. She said in the suit that she was repeatedly told by Fox executives that she could not wear trousers on the air because “Roger wants to see your legs”.
Advertisement
The suit also alleged she was the target of nasty comments online from fake accounts “operated by Fox News’s media relations department created to make it appear that they were maintained by persons unrelated to Fox News”. Ailes’ lawyer, Susan Estrich, couldn’t be reached for comment.
Ailes resigned as CEO of Fox News in July amid rumors he was asked to vacate his position over a bevy of sexual harassment allegations. She also alleged Ailes ignored her reports of “disparaging treatment in the newsroom”.
Brown has denied the allegations.
Given the number of other women who have come forward since the Carlson suit was filed, Tantaros’s description doesn’t sound far off the mark.
She says network executives then cut her air time and planted unflattering news stories about her.
Defendants include Fox News, Ailes and William Shine, who earlier this month was promoted to co-president of Fox News.
Tantaros has sued Fox’s ousted chief and network executives for sexual harassment.
Ms. Tantaros also claimed in the lawsuit that she was the subject of humiliating posts by pseudonymous accounts on Twitter known as “sock puppets” that she says were instigated by the Fox News publicity department.
The lawsuit, whose defendants include Fox News co-president Bill Shine, communications chief Irena Briganti, general counsel Dianne Brandi and Suzanne Scott, executive vice president of programming and development, comes two weeks after Tantaros made her allegations in an article in NY magazine. The book’s cover shows Tantaros bound by ropes.
Ailes’ senior executives engaged in “a concerted effort to “silence Tantaros by threats, humiliation and retaliation”, the court papers also state”. The lawsuit cites Brown as making inappropriate comments to Tantaros while they were still on the Outnumbered set. A sock puppet is a deceptive online account operated by a person or company under a false identity. The names involved in the lawsuit are Roger Ailes, former network head Roger Ailes, host Bill O’Reilly, and US Senator Scott Brown.
Brown said Tantaros’ comment about the bar scene has no relevance and he denied his schedule on Fox has changed at all since the first suit against Ailes was brought by former news anchor Gretchen Carlson.
Advertisement
During the appearance Brown allegedly told Tantaros that it “would be fun to go to a nightclub” with her.
