Bill O’Reilly was back in the news last week when he mocked Rep. Maxine Waters on Fox News’ morning show. O’Reilly made fun of Rep. Waters’ speech about Donald Trump committing impeachable offenses and he said that he couldn’t even hear a word she said because he was just looking at her “James Brown wig.” It was just another example in a long list of offenses. O’Reilly has always been awful. He’s always been sexist, racist and a total douchebag. So is it any surprise that he and Fox News have paid out millions of dollars to women he’s allegedly harassed and abused?
Five women who have alleged that Bill O’Reilly sexually harassed them or engaged in other forms of inappropriate behavior have received a total of approximately $13 million in payouts from O’Reilly, Fox News or parent company 21st Century Fox in exchange for agreeing not to pursue litigation or speak about the accusations against him, the New York Times has revealed in an investigative expose published online on Saturday.
Two of the settlements were previously known, The Times notes, including a $9 million one in 2004 with producer, Andrea Mackris, who sued O’Reilly for sexual harassment, and another $1.6 million one reached last year with former on-air personality Juliet Huddy, whose lawyers alleged O’Reilly pursued a sexual relationship with her in 2011. But The Times uncovered three additional settlements, two involving women who alleged sexual harassment and another who claimed O’Reilly verbally abused her.
In 2002, O’Reilly allegedly stormed into the newsroom and screamed at a young producer, Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, who left the network with a payout and confidentiality agreement shortly after the incident, according to current and former employees, some of whom witnessed what took place, who spoke with The Times. The other two new settlements were reached with women who made sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly: former Fox Business Network host Rebecca Gomez Diamond, who settled her case in 2011, and Laurie Dhue, a Fox News anchor from 2000-2008. In Diamond’s case, O’Reilly paid the undisclosed settlement amount, two people familiar with the situation told The Times. Another person familiar with the matter said 21st Century Fox only learned of that settlement late last year as it was investigating what had occurred at Fox News under Ailes’ time as CEO. Dhue, who also made harassment claims against Ailes, according to people briefed on her lawyers’ complaints, reached a more than $1 million settlement with 21st Century Fox, The Times reports.
In addition to those settlements, two other women have claimed O’Reilly behaved inappropriately toward them. A regular guest on The O’Reilly Factor, Wendy Walsh, told The Times that after she declined his invitation to go to his hotel suite following a 2013 dinner, his offer to make her a contributor for the network never materialized. And, in her lawsuit against the network and Roger Ailes, former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros said O’Reilly sexually harassed her.
While none of this is surprising in the least, apparently O’Reilly is just now (???) realizing that he comes across as a racist, sexist predator and that he needs some kind of PR consultant. So he hired Mark Fabiani, a crisis-manager who was previously employed by the Clintons. O’Reilly also released a statement (which was probably written by the crisis manager?):
“Just like other prominent and controversial people, I’m vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity. In my more than 20 years at Fox News Channel, no one has ever filed a complaint about me with the Human Resources Department, even on the anonymous hotline. But most importantly, I’m a father who cares deeply for my children and who would do anything to avoid hurting them in any way. And so I have put to rest any controversies to spare my children. The worst part of my job is being a target for those who would harm me and my employer, the Fox News Channel. Those of us in the arena are constantly at risk, as are our families and children. My primary efforts will continue to be to put forth an honest TV program and to protect those close to me.”
O’Reilly’s lawyer says they may consider suing… I guess they would sue the New York Times, maybe? And Fox News released a boilerplate statement of blah blah, of course we take sexual harassment seriously but we’re not going to do jack about this, etc. What I find fascinating in a creepy way is that O’Reilly’s defense is “no one ever filed a complaint with me anonymously!” How would he know if it’s anonymous? Do you see what I mean? Say an intern had been harassed by O’Reilly and she calls the tip line to report it anonymously. And say Fox News HR did what it seems to always do, which is ignore the complaint and no investigation is launched. How is that O’Reilly’s defense?? Especially when it’s pretty clear from this that women have been coming forward for a long time.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Grab them by the p*ssy and you can become president. Emotionally abuse women with unwanted sexual advances and you can make $18 million a year. Why should these old white men even change?
But what about the war on Chrismas? Who will save Santa and his helpers? I need to look the other way on all of his in-Christian behavior, because the Starbucks cup says Happy Holidays.
That’s a shame. I’d rather know exactly what sort of racist, sexist shitheel I’m dealing with, as opposed to one who hides behind a handler.
Long thread about O’Reilly’s harrassment behavior.
http://twitter.com/yashar/status/848734537756676097
I had no idea that Fox News was a breeding ground for predators! *shocked*
Mmm-hmmmm. Nice to see it confirmed, but come on – who didn’t kind of know this?
It’s so disgusting . It’s like this really repulsive boys club, where they don’t learn their lessons . They just shell out the money, keeping people quite and re offending . These people are the worst of humanity .
On a related note , I’m not sure if this was talked about,but Trump is making April sexual assault awareness month . Chew on that!!! It’s such bullshit.
What, is he officially promoting it now?
@Betsy LMAO
And as is always the case with these statements released by The Ones Who Are Guilty as Charged, the proof is in the pudding, aka the wording. Their legal representatives are trying their best not to lie, which means that consequently, there is no”I did not do XYZ, and I never, ever would!”. What we get instead, is deflection and evasive blabla and “Woe me, I’m a celebrity.”
It is so transparent, it is offensive.
Yesterday on twitter, someone posted a clip of him from
back in his Inside Edition days, and the man is a raging lunatic! Here it is: https://twitter.com/yashar/status/848670994671841280
Nutso….
Dear Fox HR people, even taking into account that you might follow the policy of progressive discipline, clearly he is not learning and five known offenses should have take you from verbal warning through to termination by now, and a judge would uphold that termination. That he is still employed speaks volumes on your lack of respect for and adherence to the laws of this country and you should be challenged on every issue about laws that you cover.
Well put, @lightpurple. I’m also wondering how they let this continue as opposed going hard on Roger Ailes? Is O’Reilly seen as a rainmaker?
Excellent point LP!!
He’s a disgusting pig. I loved how one of the accuser’s lawyers described Fox —>>> “The Bill Cosby of Corporate Business.”
“But most importantly, I’m a father who cares deeply for my children and who would do anything to avoid hurting them in any way.”
are those the kids that want nothing to do with you because you “allegedly” beat their mother?
And choked in front of them?
Would avoid hurting them by not admitting to the crimes he committed but won’t avoid hurting them by freakin’ traumatizing them and abusing them (abusing your spouse in front of your children IS child abuse).
I hate this man! Hate his stupid smug face.
He and Trump are cut from the same cloth. They think they can get away with their abusive behaviors and bullying and usually they do. Sickening.
He’s disgusting. Unfortunately, he generates so much cash for Faux News, it’s unlikely that O’Reilly will be fired. Or even suspended.
(Slightly OT — I’m always curious as to why Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who went to Faux to be with her people, departed in a very quiet manner. She so fit the profile of the Ailes/O’Reilly victim.)
Yeah, you’re right…where is Ms. Hasselbeck these days anyway? She seemed like the perfect fit over there.
I think she left because of sexual harassment but unlike the others, went quietly into the night.
Never liked her and I’m sure she was so smug coming over to Fox but at least Rosie O’Donnell never pinched her ass. Can’t say the same for Steve Doocy.
I think you’re right. It was probably harassment, but if she went public it would shatter her whole persona/brand and she’d have to eat some serious crow.
I love how he mentions his family. Don’t his kids hate his guts?
Yes, Based on reports about his divorce and custody battle, the kids didn’t want anything to do with him.
O’Reilly is too revolting even for Fox. He should be in jail. It speaks volumes about Fox News that they would rather pay millions to his victims than let go of him.
Based on his conduct, this dude seems to believe that he qualifies as the object of fevered female sexual fantasies…how delusional is that? I find it striking that men are so rarely mocked for their lack of sexual appeal in the way that women are. I’m talking specifics: that slack, unappetizing chin wattle; gormless jawline; spotty complexion; dead eyes; and overall ‘musty’ vibe. God – the prospect of someone like that in bed…how the hell is he even remotely f’kable??? He seems unbelievably thin-skinned; I’d bet money that if a widespread and unrelenting wave of female disdain about his sexual desirability were directed his way he’d totally lose it…and he’d deserve every bit of scathing dismissal into sexual irrelevancy. 🙂
One of his children testified they saw him drag their mother down the stairs by her neck.
Yeah, he doesn’t give a rat’s patootie about shielding his children from unpleasantness.
O’Reilly: Predator at work, monster at home.
I predict he will get fired – not because he said that about Maxine Waters — although he should — but because astrologically the timing is right. His long run is over!