Fox News is facing more allegations of sexual misconduct as two women filed a lawsuit Monday in which former anchor Ed Henry is accused of rape and network executives are accused of knowing of his alleged behavior and ignoring it long before he was fired this month. This is not one of those cases., Eckharts lawyer, Michael Willemin, accused Foti of trying to slut-shame Eckhart and suggest that she was asking to be violently raped. USA TODAY has also reached out to CNN for comment. The two lawyers also represent numerous accusers of convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein who have sued him in civil court for damages. She compared the movie with her manuscript; the lawsuit claims there are at least 108 similarities. During Areus March 8, 2018 appearance on Hannitys show, the lawsuit alleged, the prime-time star threw $100 on the set desk. The network said it moved aggressively to change its ways after former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes and star Bill OReilly lost their job because of accusations by women. However, I simply could not stay silent given the tremendous harm that Mr. Henry and others at Fox News have caused for women affiliated with the company. Fox News fined $1 million in New York City settlement of sexual harassment allegations, Bill Cosby released from prison after sex assault conviction overturned by Pa. Supreme Court, James Franco agrees to pay $2.2M to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit filed by former students, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ", Henry's lawyer Ty Clevenger said in a statement to USA TODAY that his client is a "journalist's journalist" and "reluctantly" filed the lawsuit against NPR and CNN, but saidthe networks "will be held accountable for what they've done.". Disclosure: Ed Henry is married to NPR Chief Washington Editor Shirley Henry. As NPR's David Folkenflik reported earlier this month, Henry was promoted despite one of his colleagues having warned senior executives that reinstating him could damage Fox's efforts at reforming its workplace culture. On one occasion, he told her to remove her underwear and deliver it to him in an envelope. However, he returned to Fox News later that year, taking a position as chief national correspondent. In addition, the Wigdor Firm declined to provide the investigators with any of the emails, texts or other evidence they requested.. Mrs. Cox wrote a manuscript about their experience and sent it to several agents and publishers in the late 1980s, but it was always returned, the lawsuit says. In the cases of Carlson and Kurtz, Areu believed the men were making sexual advances, the lawsuit said. Left you bruised, batter, dazed, sated begging for more.. But it was the accusations made by Eckhart, a former employee, that led to the anchors dismissal. (AP) _ A couple filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming the movie The company has said it has made broad cultural changes since Ailes' ouster in 2016, but Wigdor and some former Fox News staffers say it has been slow to root out deeply embedded patterns of sexist behavior and actions. Eckhart and co-plaintiff Cathy Areu are represented by Douglas Wigdor, a veteran of sexually charged suits against Fox News. Henry was terminated on July 1 after Fox News received a complaint on June 25 from a former employee about Henrys behavior from years ago, according to a statement made in July by Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace. This is not one of those cases. As if this were not already obvious enough, shortly after this, Mr. Kurtz stated to Ms. Areu, in sum and substance, 'youre the only woman here who wont come to my hotel room.' Mr. Carlson promptly retaliated against Ms. Areu, who was featured on his show only three times in 2019 and has not appeared once in 2020.. "Mr. Kurtz was punishing Ms. Areu for refusing to join him at hishotel. This is not one of those cases, said Catherine Foti, an attorney for Henry. The cable news network fired Henry after Fox Media completed an independent investigation into a former employee's sexual misconduct claim. Nevertheless, Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by former disgraced Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry., In response, Michael J. Willemin, an attorney with Wigdor LLP, said in a statement: Although Ms. Foti notes that the #MeToo movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our country, she proceeds to engage in just the type of injustice that the #MeToo movement has worked so hard to curb. Eckhart became a sexual target of Mr. Henry, noting how Mr. The lawsuit also includes text messages from Henry to Eckhart, which the suit states were shared with Fox News. The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial and damages. The suit also alleges other Fox News personalities, including Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Howard Kurtz and Gianno Caldwell, subjected Areu to inappropriate sexual harassment and retaliation. On another occasion, Eckhart alleged, Henry violently raped her while she was handcuffed, only after he took nude photos of her without her consent. The lawsuit asserts Fox executives knew that Henry had been accused of sexual misconduct long before June 25. The "America's Newsroom" co-anchor was terminated after Fox News said it received a complaint on June 25 from a former employee's attorney regarding "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago.". In a statement, Henrys lawyer Catherine M. Foti said: The Me Too movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our society, and everyone that has suffered deserves to be heard. DeSantis To Run In 2024Its The Latest Sign Trump Is Losing Battleground States, Twitters Money Problems Deepen: Revenues Reportedly Plummet As Major Advertisers Jump Ship After Musks Takeover, Nursing Homes Face Federal Audit For Alleged Overuse Of Antipsychotic Drugs, George Santos Accused Of Pocketing Money Raised To Save Disabled Veterans Dying Service Dog. In 2016, Henry was demoted by the network from his job as White House correspondent and took a leave of absence following allegations of an extramarital affair with a Las Vegas hostess and stripper. It follows the story of how some of Fox's female personalities, including Carlson and Kelly, set out to expose the network's hostile work environment of sexual harassment and how Ailes allowed it to thrive. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. About 50 employees have dropped a lawsuit against Henry Ford Health System that alleged the Detroit-based organization's COVID-19 vaccine mandate is The culture under Ailes was subsequently given the Hollywood treatment:"Bombshell," which earned Charlize Theron an Oscar nomination for playing Megyn Kelly this year,is based on the 2016 real-life sexual misconduct allegations against Ailes. She had been a relatively regular face on Hannitys show, but was hardly ever invited back to appear after that date, according to the lawsuit. He then began calling out to the men in the room and demanding that someone take Ms. Areu out on a date for drinks at Del Friscos. ", NPR responded to the claim Friday. Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhartcan pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as Fox News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckharts claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.. The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund is supporting a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Fox News and several of its anchors, including Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Since coming on board as CEO in 2018, Suzanne Scott has worked to create a different atmosphere, an acknowledgement that the factors behind Ailes ouster had negative effects on employees. Regarding Henry was released in 1991, but the couple didn't see it until renting the videotape in March 1992. A former Fox News reporter and associate producer, along with a frequent guest on the network, have leveled brutal and disturbing sexual-assault allegations against former host Ed Henry as well as harassment allegations against current on-air talent like hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Howard Kurtz. There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at FOX News prior to Jennifer Eckharts claim on June 25, 2020, a Fox spokesperson replied in a statement. There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at Fox News prior to Jennifer Eckharts claim on June 25, 2020, the network added in its statement. Of course, Fox News will have paid the investigator, who also happens to be a management-side employment lawyer. UPDATED with dismissal: Ex-Fox News host Ed Henry s defamation lawsuit against NPR and CNN has been voluntarily dismissed. Fox News Media rejected Henry's allegation. Earlier, in September 2015, the lawsuit says, Eckhart says Henry forced her to perform oral sex in a guest office on the 17th floor of the Fox News building. Rather, Mr. Henrys employment was terminated because Fox News realized that it was on the precipice of a public relations nightmare and wanted to get out ahead of this suit and be able to claim that it had done the right thing. 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Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhart can pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as FOX News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckharts claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network., In response, Willemin wrote in a statement, It is outrageous and contrary to common sense that Fox News purports not to take responsibility for his actions. The Wednesday lawsuit by Henrysays Scott'sstatement lent"credence tothe false allegations because she was trying to save her own career andburnish her image as a tough, no nonsense female executive who cleaned up Fox News. Later that day, he ordered her to perform oral sex on him in a guest office at Fox News headquarters in New York. Weeks after Henry's firing in 2020,the former employee who made the complaint that resulted in his oustersued him, alleging rape. Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areus claims against Fox News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Howard Kurtz and its contributor Gianno Caldwell, are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit, Fox News said in a statement. A frequent guest on Carlson's show in 2017 and 2018, the lawsuit says he tried to proposition her to join him alone in a hotel room in December 2018, and when she refused he "promptly retaliated against Ms. Areu, whowas featured on his show only three times in 2019 and has not appeared once in 2020.". The complaint filed on Monday graphically presents multiple allegations of sexual abuse suffered by Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox Business, who said that Henry suggested he could help advance her career in exchange for sex. Henry's lawyer, Catherine Foti, has characterized the allegations against her client as "fictional. The statement also seeks to slut-shame Ms. Eckhart and suggests that she was asking to be violently raped. As if this were not already obvious enough, shortly after this, Mr. Kurtz stated to Ms. Areu, in sum and substance, youre the only woman here who wont come to my hotel room. Ms. Areu has only appeared approximately three times on Media Buzz following her rejection of Mr. Kurtzs advances.. regarding "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago." Moreover, the investigator did not even speak with either of our clients, even though both Ms. Eckhart and Ms. Areu offered to meet with him under reasonable conditions. Henry released a statement to USA TODAY on Monday through his lawyer, Catherine Foti. Fox News fires Ed Henry after sexual misconduct investigation. Earlier, in September 2015, the lawsuit says, Eckhart says Henry forced her to perform oral sex in a guest office on the 17th floor of the Fox News building. Henry said some of the conversationrelied on the "false report" from Folkenflik and that Stelter "recklessly republished Mr. Folkenfliks allegation without confirming its authenticity. The suit also alleges he asked her to be his sex slave and his little whore and threatened punishment and retaliation if she did not comply with his sexual demands. The lawsuit said that Fox knew that Henry who took a four-month leave of absence in 2016 following published reports of his affair with a Las Vegas cocktail waitress had engaged in sexual misconduct as far back as 2017. Pictured above are four Henry Ford health care workers in front of Henry Ford Hospital on April 8, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Areu awkwardly sidestepped the advances and declined to spend the night at Carlsons hotel. Fox has battled allegations of sexual misconduct in the past, including against network chief Ailes, who died in 2017. In the same case, a former Fox employee said she was harassed and raped by news anchor Ed Henry, who was fired July 1 shortly after the network became aware of the accusations. "Mr. Henry was not terminated after Fox News learned of these complaints. It also alleges that Carlson in December 2018 told Areu he would be alone in New York City that night in a hotel room without his wife or kids. I stand for all victims who have been mistreated, harassed, assaulted, and even worse, at the hands of those in power, and the institutions that continue to support them, said Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox Business Network who worked in different positions there over seven years, in a statement provided by her attorney. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. An Indiana couple filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming the movie Regarding Henry, in which Harrison Ford plays a man who suffers a severe brain injury, is based on their life story, which they tried to sell. Fox News said Areus allegations against others at Fox are false. Over time, the lawsuit alleged, Henrys treatment of Eckhart became increasingly violent. According to the lawsuit, the messages in Areus possession from Henry include a closeup photograph of a womans vagina being clamped closed by four clothespins; a photograph of an individual wearing a mask that has a large penis in lieu of a nose; a photograph of a vibrator faux smoking a cigarette; a photograph with a woman with her mouth open and tongue extended, with a mans hands pulling her towards his midsection, captioned In case you wondering the male g-spot is located at the back of a womans throat; a photograph of a womans rear end and vagina modified to include the features of a bunny rabbit (this was sent for Easter); a woman wearing nothing but three masks, in which her entire body is exposed other than her breasts and vagina; [and] a photograph of a rubber glove where each finger appears to be a dildo and/or ribbed like a condom., Henry also sent Areu, the complaint alleged, a video of a woman running across the room and jumping towards a cameraher skirt lifts up and the video ends with a closeup of her vagina; and a video entitled Fastest Interview candidate selected in 3 seconds. 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