Cable news host Andrea Tantaros has filed a lawsuit against Fox News, its ousted leader Roger Ailes and its top executives, claiming she was removed from her on-air role in retaliation for making a sexual harassment complaint.
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Andrea Tantaros described Fox in the lawsuit, filed Monday in NY, as a “sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult”. The lawsuit said after the show, Brown snuck up behind Tantaros while she was buying lunch and grabbed her lower waist.
The suit, which describes Fox News as a misogynistic, sex-fueled cult, also alleges that newly appointed Fox News co-president Bill Shine encouraged her to drop her harassment claims.
Former Fox News anchor Andrea Tantaros claims sexual harassment is condoned and tolerated by the network’s very top executives including Rupert Murdoch. However, Stacey Dash will probably find some way to either defend Ailes’ alleged statements or deny that he holds any racists thoughts.
Additionally, Tantaros alleges she also put up with unwelcome advances from O’Reilly, whom she had thought of as a friend and mentor.
NY magazine’s Gabriel Sherman has detailed the case of former Fox event booker Laurie Luhn, who claimed a 20-year period of “psychological torture” working for Ailes, who she said had liaisons with her at swanky NY hotel rooms. Andrea claimed that “she also began to feel targeted by the publicity department at Fox News, specifically Irena Briganti”, the site noted. Shine allegedly told Tantaros to “let this one go”, though Shine’s reps have said that never happened.
Fox News told The New York Times that it would not comment pending legal proceedings.
The lawsuit lists several men at Fox News in addition to Ailes who made sexual advances or comments towards Tantaros including Bill O’Reilly, John Roberts, Ben Collins and actor, Dean Cain, according to BuzzFeed.
Former Mass. Sen. Scott Brown, shown on Capitol Hill in November 2012, frequently appears as a political commentator on Fox News.
A second sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed against Roger Ailes, just weeks after he resigned as CEO of Fox News amid controversy over his treatment of female employees.
It’s been almost a month since FOX News CEO Roger Ailes was forced to resign after more than a dozen women accused him of sexual assault, and yet we’re still learning new details about sexism in the company.
The Times last week also reported that Ailes paid out millions in hush money to silence employees who complained about sexual harassment.
Tantaros has shared her experiences of violation at the hands of Ailes and other Fox execs.
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In an email to WBZ-TV Tuesday, Brown said his interactions with Tantaros were limited, and her allegations are “false”.
