Fox News Drama: Megyn Kelly Reportedly Joins List Of Women Accusing Roger Ailes Of Sexual Harassment, Ailes Could Be Fired This Week
Megyn Kelly may soon be embroiled in the Fox News drama, with a new report claiming the network’s most famous female anchor has her own allegations of sexual harassment against the embattled Roger Ailes.
A number of women who work at the network have spoken out against Ailes, the chairman and CEO of Fox News, claiming that he sexually harassed them at work. Others joined the other side, defending Ailes.
But Megyn Kelly remained conspicuously silent, earning attention from the media for her refusal to join one side of the issue or the other.
“Megyn Kelly, the most high-profile female anchor on the network, has yet to speak out about the controversy,” the Hollywood Reporternoted.
There may now be more insight into why the network’s most prominent female anchor has been silent. A report from New York magazine reported that insiders within Fox News claimed Megyn Kelly is among the women accusing Roger Ailes, though she hasn’t done so publicly.
“Now we have the answer. According to two sources briefed on parent company 21st Century Fox’s outside probe of the Fox News executive, led by New York–based law firm Paul, Weiss, Kelly has told investigators that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances toward her about ten years ago when she was a young correspondent at Fox. Kelly, according to the sources, has described her harassment by Ailes in detail.”
The story may be a hint of the drama that has been unfolding behind the scenes at Fox News. The Daily Beast had reported that there was growing “frustration and anger within Fox News” that Megyn Kelly wasn’t willing to defend the man who had hired her more than a decade ago. Some even spoke out publicly about her apparent lack of loyalty.
Megyn Kelly accuses Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harrassment https://t.co/ZP0bbrs9lE
— The Guardian (@guardian) July 19, 2016
Megyn Kelly has told lawyers Ailes harassed her. Murdochs have told Ailes to resign by Aug. 1 or be fired for cause https://t.co/wbjU1rl5Pp
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) July 19, 2016
“Megyn is being selfish,” a source told the outlet. “It’s pretty shocking actually.”
The drama at Fox News and the possibly allegations from Megyn Kelly could spell the end of the line for Roger Ailes. A new report from New York Magazine’s Daily Intelligencer cited insiders who claimed that Rupert Murdoch, along with the company’s co-chairman, planned to fire Ailes by the end of the week.
The report added that Ailes has been given a target date of August 1 to either offer his resignation or to be fired, but that sources in the network said it will likely come in the next few days.
Ailes has been under fire since Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, the previous host of Fox & Friends, claimed she was fired on June 23 because she would not have sex with Ailes. She brought forward a sexual harassment lawsuit, claiming that Ailes made several comments including saying he thinks the two “should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago.”
A number of other women joined in accusing Ailes, with the sexual harassment allegations stretching back decades. Fortune magazine interviewed one of the women, Kellie Boyle, who claimed that she was blacklisted after rebuffing his request for sex.
“The next morning I show up to sign the contract and get my assignments, all the congressmen I was going to be working with, and I couldn’t even get in the door. This was a contract that was in the bag. I was told the person I was going to meet with wasn’t available. No explanation. I tried calling, no response. I ended up driving back to New Jersey with nothing.”
New York Magazine noted that it was Megyn Kelly’s comments to investigators — and the specific details of harassment that she provided — which are prompting the network brass to fire Roger Ailes. Kelly herself has not commented publicly.
[Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP Images]
