According to a source familiar with the process, Van Susteren asked to renegotiate her contract after Roger Ailes resigned under pressure as Fox News chairman following a sexual harassment lawsuit. 21st Century Fox released a statement that read in part “We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve”.
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Fox did not explain Van Susteren’s exit, although a person close to the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity described it as a financial disagreement.
Ailes’ lawyers have denied that sexual harassment happened, but after Carlson filed a lawsuit on July 6, the Murdoch family’s 21st Century Fox hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation.
Stay on topic – This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand. Carlson exhibited “the highest standards of journalism and professionalism”, said the Fox statement. We are proud that she was part of the Fox News team.
Accompanying that apology is $20 million, according to reports by CNN and The New York Times.
“21st Century Fox is pleased to announce that it has settled Gretchen Carlson’s lawsuit”.
Another former Fox personality, Andrea Tantaros, has filed a harassment lawsuit against the network. Carlson, in turn, won’t sue the company or any other Fox executive in the future, Vanity Fair reported.
The abrupt announcement today, in the middle of the presidential campaign, was coupled with word that Brit Hume, Fox’s senior political analyst and a former Washington managing editor, will take over as host of “On the Record” through the election. He’s the author, of course, of “The Loudest Voice In The Room: How The Brilliant Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News And Divided The Country”.
Also Tuesday, Fox News announced the surprise departure of Greta Van Susteren from a nighttime lineup that has been one of the most successful and stable in cable news. She said he first demoted her, and then fired her after she turned down his sexual advances.
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“I am ready to move on to the next chapter of my life in which I will redouble my efforts to empower women in the workplace”, she said, thanking everyone who had supported her. She thanked “all the courageous women” who came forward to tell their own stories and others who supported her.
