Word of the surprise shake-up in what has been cable TV news’ most stable and successful lineup was announced only minutes after the settlement of former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson’s harassment lawsuit against deposed Fox News chief Roger Ailes.
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Carlson departed the network in late June and filed a lawsuit alleging that former network boss Roger Ailes “sabotaged” her career after she “refused his sexual advances” and that her job was terminated in retaliation for rebuffing him and complaining to him about sexual harassment.
In addition to the arrangement with Carlson, 21st Century Fox has settled with several other women who came forward with similar allegations during the probe, according to the Journal report.
Carlson voluntarily dismissed her suit, according to court documents, and never included Fox as a defendant.
FILE – In this May 18, 2010, file photo, TV personality Gretchen Carlson appears on the set of “Fox & Friends” in NY. “Most women do not come forward because they fear retribution and that will not change”, said Lori Day, an educational psychologist and the author of “Her Next Chapter”.
A statement by the parent firm 21st Century Fox said: “We sincerely regret and apologise for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve”.
Officials at 21st Century Fox became aware of the recordings after Carlson’s lawyers spoke to Paul, Weiss investigators, about three weeks after she filed the lawsuit July 6. “All women deserve a dignified and respectful workplace in which talent, hard work and loyalty are recognized, revered and rewarded”, she continued.
The case highlighted the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace, an issue that in recent years has actually spurred a little-known corner of the insurance market. Ailes has denied those incidents as well.
Reuters editor, Eric Effron, says this symbolises just how far apart Ailes and his former network have grown. On Tuesday Dhue’s attorney declined to comment on whether she has reached any settlement with Fox.
Whether or not Van Susteren’s decision to leave had anything to do with Ailes’ ousting remains unclear, though she admitted Fox News hadn’t “felt like home to me for a few years” in a Facebook post. She said that she “could not wait” because of a time-limited exit clause in her contract.
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Gabriel Sherman, who has been out in front of the ongoing Roger Ailes sexual harassment scandal, has been added to NBC News and MSNBC as a contributor, TheWrap has learned.
