Earlier this year Fox claimed that Tantaros, 37 and a former host of Outnumbered, was let go because she breached her contract by writing a book without first getting approval from them.
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Ailes stepped down from his position as Fox News chairman CEO about a month ago in the face of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct by current and former female Fox staffers.
Tantaros’ lawsuit, filed Monday in New York State Supreme Court, claims “Fox News and Ailes acted with malice and reckless indifference”. When she refused, the suit states, she was moved off the well-rated 5 p.m. show to a lower-rated midday show.
In addition to the advances and pressures from within the network, the lawsuit alleges Tantaros was also the victim of humiliating posts published by pseudonymous Twitter accounts – known as “sock puppets” – that she claims were instigated by the Fox News publicity department.
Tantaros claims O’Reilly began sexually harassing her in February 2016, when he invited her out to Long Island where it would be “very private”.
The filing said Brown harassed Tantaros on set and after an August 2015 appearance on her show.
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.
Andrea Tantaros, a former spokeswoman for Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, joined Fox News as a political contributor in 2010 and in 2011, joined the ensemble cast of “The Five”.
Fox News initiated an arbitration with Tantaros in May, offering a settlement that would pay out her contract but keep her from talking about her experiences at Fox News, according to the suit. Through his attorneys, Mr Ailes has denied Carlson’s claims.
“It’s completely and totally false”, Brown said of Tantaros’ claim that he made sexually inappropriate comments toward her – including that she would be “fun to go to a nightclub with” – and snuck up behind her and grabbed her waist in the Fox News cafeteria.
Ailes resigned in July after another former anchor, Gretchen Carlson, said in a lawsuit that she was sacked for refusing his sexual advances.
Tantaros said when she complained to the network’s executives she was taken off the “The O’Reilly Factor”.
Fox News told The Hill it would not comment on pending legal proceedings.
In summer 2014, Tantaros said working for Fox “devolved into a nightmare of sexual harassment” from Ailes, including “demeaning conduct” such as being made to strip in front of wardrobe personnel. “He may have been the primary culprit, but his actions were condoned by most senior lieutenants”. In return, she claimed the network retaliated against her by taking her off the air after she complained.
Fox News’ sexual harassment scandal escalates as another lawsuit was filed against the executives and prominent correspondents of the conservative channel.
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In a separate incident, she says Ailes asked her twice to turn around so I can get a good look at you, adding, on one occasion, Come over here so I can give you a hug..
