September 6, 2016

Fox News Reportedly to Pay Gretchen Carlson $20 Million for Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Half of what the network paid Roger Ailes to step down as chairman.


Fox News is reportedly set to pay former news host Gretchen Carlson $20 million to settle the bombshell sexual harassment case she launched against Roger Ailes, the company’s now ousted chairman. News of the settlement, which was first reported by Vanity Fair, comes just two months after Carlson filed suit, which alleged Ailes fired her from the network after she refused his sexual advances.

Both Fox News and Carlson issued the following statements Monday morning:

On Friday, New York published a deeply reported and revealing account of the sexual harassment scandal rocking Fox News. Since Carlson filed suit, more women have come forward with their own stories alleging inappropriate sexual behavior by Ailes over the past three decades.

Ailes, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, was forced to resign from his position soon after Carlson’s lawsuit became public. Fox News paid the disgraced CEO $40 million to leave—double what it’s paying to settle Carlson’s lawsuit.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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