It's hard not to link Van Susteren's exit to 21st Century Fox's settlement with former anchor Carlson since Van Susteren was one of the people who defended Roger Ailes against Carlson's claims.
- Sep 7, 2016
AceShowbiz - Fox News has settled Gretchen Carlson's sexual harassment lawsuit against her former boss Roger Ailes. On Tuesday, September 6, the network's parent company 21st Century Fox agreed to pay the former Fox News anchor $20 million to settle the lawsuit and issued an apology to her.
"During her tenure at Fox News, Gretchen exhibited the highest standards of journalism and professionalism," the company said in a statement. "She developed a loyal audience and was a daily source of information for many Americans. We are proud that she was part of the Fox News team. We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve."
In response to the settlement, Carlson said she was "gratified that 21st Century Fox took decisive action" after she filed her complaint. "I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life in which I will redouble my efforts to empower women in the workplace," she added. "I want to thank all the brave women who came forward to tell their own stories and the many people across the country who embraced and supported me in their #StandWithGretchen. All women deserve a dignified and respectful workplace in which talent, hard work and loyalty are recognized, revered and rewarded."
After Carlson filed the lawsuit against Ailes in early July, several other women came forward with their claims of sexual harassment at Fox News. 21st Century Fox has also settled with at least two other women who said they were harassed by Ailes, according to a person briefed on the settlement terms. Following the lawsuit, Ailes stepped down as Fox News chief on July 21.
But the end of Carlson's lawsuit doesn't mean the end of problem for Fox News. Also on Tuesday, longtime host Greta Van Susteren abruptly quit. Van Susteren was one of those who publicly defended former chairman and founder Ailes against Carlson's claims, so it's hard not to think that these two events are related. As one of key Fox personnel, she had a contract which included a "key man" clause allowing her to leave if Ailes departed.
However, Politico and Buzzfeed reported that Van Susteren left over a financial disagreement.
FNC senior political analyst Brit Hume will take over as host of "On the Record" through the election. While Hume is "happy to take on this assignment for the balance of this extraordinary election," he's reportedly not interested in taking the post permanently.
