Fox Was Aware of Bill O'Reilly Harassment Settlement at Contract Renewal
October 21 2017 - 11:22PM
Dow Jones News
By Joe Flint
21st Century Fox was aware Bill O'Reilly had reached a
settlement with a network analyst who had accused him of sexual
harassment when the company renewed the star Fox News host's
contract, the company said Saturday.
In a statement, the company said it "knew that a sexual
harassment lawsuit had been threatened against him by Lis Wiehl,
but was informed by Mr. O'Reilly that he had settled the matter
personally" when it signed Mr. O'Reilly to a new four-year deal
last February.
The settlement with Ms. Wiehl, a legal analyst for Fox News and
a legal adviser to Mr. O'Reilly, was for $32 million, according to
the New York Times, which first reported on the settlement
Saturday.
Mr. O'Reilly has denied all alleged wrongdoing. A spokesman for
Mr. O'Reilly issued a statement critical of the Times story, saying
it contained false and defamatory material "obviously designed to
embarrass Mr. O'Reilly and to keep him from competing in the
marketplace."
In its statement, 21st Century Fox didn't confirm the amount of
the settlement, saying it was reached "on financial terms that [Mr.
O'Reilly] and Ms. Wiehl had agreed were confidential and not
disclosed to the company."
Fox News and Mr. O'Reilly parted ways in April after the New
York Times reported that he and Fox News had paid to resolve
several harassment accusations against him over many years.
Ms. Wiehl didn't respond to a request for comment. In April, she
said in an emailed statement to The Wall Street Journal that there
was "no claim against Fox News or Bill O'Reilly" and that she was
leaving the network to "devote herself to writing and other
pursuits."
The settlement, reported by the Times on Saturday, is notable
both for its apparent size and timing. It came as Fox News was
already reeling from a string of sexual harassment claims against
former network boss Roger Ailes.
Mr. Ailes, who denied the allegations, exited last summer and
died earlier this year. 21st Century Fox launched a probe into Mr.
Ailes's alleged misconduct and pledged to ensure a safe workplace
for women. In September 2016, the company paid $20 million to
settle a lawsuit with former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, who
had accused Mr. Ailes of sexual harassment.
"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," 21st Century Fox said in a statement at
the time.
Federal authorities are investigating what 21st Century Fox knew
about settlement payments from Fox News to Mr. Ailes's accusers --
as well as how those payments were made and who was involved,
people familiar with the matter have said. 21st Century Fox has
said it is cooperating fully with the probe.
The 21st Century Fox statement issued Saturday said Mr.
O'Reilly's latest contract gave the company the right to dismiss
him if it "was made aware of other allegations or if additional
relevant information was obtained in a company investigation. The
company subsequently acted based on the terms of this
contract."
"21st Century Fox has taken concerted action to transform Fox
News, including installing new leaders, overhauling management and
on-air talent, expanding training, and increasing the channels
through which employees can report harassment or discrimination,"
the statement said.
Since departing Fox News, Mr. O'Reilly has started his own
online show. He recently returned to Sean Hannity's show on Fox
News to promote his latest book.
21st Century Fox and the Journal's parent News Corp share common
ownership.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 21, 2017 23:07 ET (03:07 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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