Bill O'Reilly Allegedly Made 'Sexual' Phone Calls to Ex-Host

Fox News quietly settled sexual harassment claims in September
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 10, 2017 1:35 PM CST
Fox News Settled Bill O'Reilly Sexual Harassment Claims
In September, Fox News quietly settled sexual harassment allegations brought against Bill O'Reilly by a former Fox News host.   (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

A former Fox News host reached a six-figure settlement with the network in September after accusing Bill O'Reilly, as well as the network's co-president, of sexual harassment. The allegations and settlement were made public this week by Law Newz and the New York Times, which spoke to sources close to the situation and received copies of Juliet Huddy's formal accusations and the settlement. In her letter to Fox News, Huddy accuses O'Reilly of propositioning her multiple times. She says he made "highly inappropriate and sexual" phone calls to her during which it sounded like he was masturbating. She claims he kissed her after inviting her to his home and had her deliver a key to his hotel room while he was dressed only in his boxers.

Huddy says she felt she needed to accept O'Reilly's social invitations because he "had total control over her" professionally—she had regular segments on The O'Reilly Factor. She claims after she made it clear she wasn't interested, O'Reilly retaliated professionally, and she was eventually removed from Fox News and given a 4:30am anchor slot on a Fox affiliate. Both O'Reilly and Fox News co-president Jack Abernethy "strongly denied" the allegations against them. The settlement was paid by Fox News in the wake of CEO Roger Ailes' removal amid sexual harassment allegations. O'Reilly previously settled a sexual harassment suit brought by a former producer. That 2004 suit included allegations that O'Reilly made phone calls during which it sounded like he was masturbating. (More Bill O'Reilly stories.)

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