More women are stepping forward with charges of harassment against former Fox News head Roger Ailes, but this week Bill O’Reilly, the network's biggest star, was also included in the harassment charges.
Fox News host Andrea Tantaros filed a lawsuit on Monday alleging that she was sexually harassed by both by Ailes and O’Reilly.
“Fox News masquerades as a defender of traditional family values, but behind the scenes, it operates like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency and misogyny,” Tantaros claims in the new lawsuit, according to The New York Times.
The suit claims that O’Reilly invited Tantaros to Long Island where he told her it would be “very private” and that she could show him her “wild side.”
It’s not the first time that O’Reilly has faced a sexual harassment charge. In 2004 he was sued by former Factor producer Andrea Mackris, who alleged that he “repeatedly subjected her to sexual harassment through dinner and phone conversations variously described as lewd, lascivious, vile and threatening.”We would rather see The Donald take down Fox News rather that Thai great country of ours. https://t.co/4uFbFNLwYg
— The E Street Journal (@TheEStreetJ) August 26, 2016
The 2004 allegations reportedly included O'Reilly's attempts to lure Mackris to his hotel room. He later settled the lawsuit for millions. O’Reilly is not named as a defendant in Tantaros’ lawsuit.
Meanwhile in a meeting with newly appointed Fox News co-president Bill Shine in 2015 he allegedly warned Tantaros that Ailes was a “very powerful man” and that she “needed to let this one go,” her lawsuit says.
When her harassment complaints were revealed to the management she was taken off the air she adds.Looks like former Fox News CEO #RogerAiles isn't just sexist — he might be racist, too https://t.co/GglmczlcmW pic.twitter.com/dpliJjQHVi
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) August 26, 2016
Tantaros’ suit comes nearly seven weeks after the former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson also accused Ailes of sexual harassment, prompting at least 20 women to then come forward with their own stories of harassment at his hands.
According to the Times, Tantaros’ lawsuit claims that network executives warned her against wearing pants during her broadcasts because “Roger wants to see your legs.”
After a 2014 meeting in which Tantaros refused to comply with Ailes’ request that she turn around “so I can get a good look at you,” she was dropped to a lower-rated show.
Ailes has denied all the allegations.
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