Bill O’ Reilly is making the headlines for being involved in a sexual harassment scandal that was supposedly to be kept secret.
In a report by the New York Times on Tuesday, the top television host of FOX was accused of sexual harassment by former FOX News anchor Juliet Huddy. The Times received a letter that Huddy’s lawyers wrote to Fox News in August 2016, stating details of how O’ Reilly attempted to initiate a sexual relationship with Huddy in 2011.
As the letter states, the ‘O’ Reilly Factor’ host invited Huddy to have lunch near his house in Long Island in January of that year. After that, the two of them allegedly went to his house where O’ Reilly toured Huddy, showing her every room of the building.
However, just before the TV news reporter was preparing to leave, O’ Reilly allegedly tried to kiss her. As stated by the document: “Ms. Huddy was so taken aback and repulsed that she instinctively recoiled and actually fell to the ground. Mr. O'Reilly, looking amused, did not even help Ms. Huddy up."
The following week, the political commentator invited Huddy to a Broadway show, leaving his hotel room key to her and giving her instructions of meeting him in the room later that night.
According to Huddy’s lawyers, she did make it to the hotel but requested that O’ Reilly meet her in the lobby instead. The father-of-two was not convinced of Huddy’s refusal, so the latter went up to his hotel room and returned the key. The document states that O’ Reilly opened the door with only his boxer shorts on. Huddy was, as described in the letter, “very embarrassed.” It also states that the ‘Good Day New York’ host “was not interested in Mr. O’ Reilly on a personal or sexual level.”
In addition, the document recalls how O’ Reilly bombarded Huddy with consecutive calls, which made the latter upset and uncomfortable.
“She felt compelled to comply with Mr. O'Reilly's request, given that he had total control over her work assignment,” the letter further states.
Consequently, Huddy’s segment ‘Mad as Hell’ on his show was cancelled. In September, her team along with 21st Century made a settlement for the scandal, amounting to a six-figure digit, as stated by the sources familiar with the deal. In exchange, Huddy should keep quiet and agree that she will not “disparage, malign or defame” O’ Reilly, and vice versa.
Huddy then said goodbye to ‘Good Day Early Call’ on a FOX partner station and released the following statement: "Thank you to everyone who has made the last 20 years the most challenging but best of my life. Perhaps someday, even someday soon, you'll see me on television again."
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