Gretchen Carlson Is Getting $20 Million in Fox News Lawsuit
Nobody really wins a lawsuit settlement, but Gretchen Carlson is getting a massive payout from Fox News in response to her suit against the network’s chairman and CEO, Roger Ailes.
News of the lawsuit broke earlier this summer, with Carlson claiming that Ailes said creepy shit like, “You and I should have had a sexual relationship long ago.” He also allegedly called her a “man hater” and said she should ““learn to ‘get along with the boys,’” the New York Daily News reports. You know, typical office flirtations!
It’s crazy to think that someone would try to get away with this kind of behavior in 2016. And apparently, Fox News agrees — publicly at least. Their parent company, 21st Century Fox, said in a statement:
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. During her tenure at Fox News, Gretchen exhibited the highest standards of journalism and professionalism.
Carlson was fired from Fox News in June, leading to the lawsuit, and Ailes has been fired since. Other women have also come forward with allegations of being harassed by Ailes, including Andrea Tantaros who called Fox News “a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult.”
It still remains to be seen how that suit will shake out. Gretchen Carlson says she’s over her lawsuit for now, though.
“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 said in a statement. “All women deserve a dignified and respectful workplace in which talent, hard work and loyalty are recognized, revered and rewarded.”
